Lakers' LeBron James on NBA Restart: 'We're Right Back to Where We Left Off'

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James said his team's hard-fought victory over the rival Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night showed the NBA's "competitive spirit" is alive and well inside the bubble at the Disney World complex in Orlando, Florida.

James hit the game-winning shot with 12.8 seconds remaining to give the Lakers a 103-101 triumph over the Clippers. It followed a similarly tight 106-104 win by the Utah Jazz over the New Orleans Pelicans in the first night of games as part of the resumed 2019-20 season.

The four-time NBA MVP told reporters the mindset didn't change during the league's four-month hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic:

"We're two teams in the same city and two teams that's fighting for one common goal. And that's to win a championship and bring it to the city of Los Angeles and [each] fanbase. So you have so many competitors on the floor—going out there and representing the purple and gold, representing Laker nation; those guys are doing the same thing for their fanbase. No matter what the [situation] is, no matter what the bubble is, no fans, or [with] fans, basketball is basketball and competitive spirit is competitive spirit, so we're right back to where we left off."

The game's intrigue was amplified by all four stars on the floor having strong games.

James tallied 16 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Anthony Davis, who was questionable with an eye injury, showed no ill effects en route to 34 points, eight boards and four dimes for the Lakers.

On the opposite side, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George combined to score 58 of the Clippers' 101 points.

George tied the game at 101 before James grabbed his own rebound off a miss and scored the winning bucket.

The NBA's longtime gold standard explained those types of battles are what the sport is all about:

"Playing against the greatest basketball players in the world at this level. This is the last level. This is the last level that you can get as far as playing basketball. ... I've been playing against a lot of great players [in] this league in a 17-year career. Two of them was on the floor tonight [George and Leonard] on their side, and I have one on my team as well [in Anthony Davis] so just that competitive—that spirit, that fight. ... You want to try to help even if you're not shooting the ball well, you're not able to do things, you can always help in other ways. Either by your voice or getting a defensive stop, just your presence. That's what's fun about the game."

The Lakers have now all but clinched the top seed in the Western Conference, holding a 6.5-game advantage over the Clippers with each team set to play seven more regular-season games in Orlando.

It won't be the least bit surprising if the star-studded squads meet again in the conference finals.