LeBron James, Anthony Davis Combine for 49 Points as Lakers Blow Out Wizards
The Los Angeles Lakers extended their winning streak to 10 games Friday, beating the visiting Washington Wizards 125-103 at Staples Center.
LeBron James, who leads the league in assists, dished out 11 more dimes in addition to 23 points in just 25 minutes. He shot 9-of-16 from the field.
Anthony Davis added a game-high 26 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks, and Rajon Rondo dropped 13 points in just 11 minutes off the bench. Quinn Cook contributed 17 more, and JaVale McGee posted a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double.
Los Angeles trailed 9-0 but went on a 37-14 run to take a 37-23 lead into the second quarter. The Lakers led 70-49 at halftime and 105-79 heading into the fourth.
The Wizards shot just 39.6 percent overall and 27.0 percent from three-point range. Bradley Beal led Washington with 18 points.
The 17-2 Lakers have won 17 of 18 after dropping the season opener against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Wizards fell to 6-11.
Notable Performances
Wizards G Bradley Beal: 18 points, 9 assists
Wizards F Rui Hachimura: 16 points, 8 rebounds
Wizards G Jordan McRae: 13 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists
Lakers F Anthony Davis: 26 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks
Lakers G/F LeBron James: 23 points, 11 assists
Lakers G Quinn Cook: 17 points
LeBron James Continues to State MVP Case
Few athletes in American sports can say they dominated in their 17th seasons.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady threw for 28 touchdown passes (and just two interceptions) en route to a Super Bowl victory in his 17th year.
United States women's national team forward Mia Hamm, who joined the squad in 1987, scored two goals in the Americans' Olympic gold-medal run in 2004.
Ex-San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds had an otherworldly 1.381 OPS in the midst of winning his fifth National League MVP award.
And Detroit Red Wings forward Gordie Howe led the NHL with 38 goals and 86 points, winning the Hart Memorial Trophy in 1962-63.
James can add his name to this list, and he may end up winning a championship and an award as the league's most valuable player by the end of this season.
The four-time NBA MVP dominated Friday.
He made great passes to set up his teammates for easy buckets.
He threw down a slam dunk on Wizards forward Davis Bertans, who bravely tried to stop the basket:
He also knocked down 4-of-8 three-pointers and excelled on the defensive end with two steals and a block.
What James is doing is impressive enough thanks to his 25.8 points, 11.0 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game entering Friday. But the fact that he's doing this on a 17-2 team in his 17th season with a host of new teammates is incredible.
At this juncture, the MVP race looks like a four-man battle between James, reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, triple-double machine Luka Doncic and the NBA's leading scorer in James Harden. LeBron has as good of an argument as any given his individual accomplishments coupled with those of his league-best team.
What's Next?
Both squads will play in L.A. on Sunday.
The Lakers will look for their 11th consecutive win against the Dallas Mavericks at 4 p.m. ET. The Wizards will face the Clippers at 10:30 p.m.
