LeBron James Notches 28-Point Triple-Double as Lakers Defeat Thunder in OT
No Anthony Davis, no problem for the Los Angeles Lakers, who continued to roll as they defend their title.
Los Angeles defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 119-112 in overtime in Monday's Western Conference showdown at Staples Center. LeBron James notched a triple-double to lead the way for the Purple and Gold, who improved to 19-6 with a fifth consecutive victory.
Though James missed a buzzer-beater that would have won it in regulation, the Lakers cruised in the extra period with the King recording a clutch assist on a Wesley Matthews three-pointer and the final points on a dunk.
An impressive showing by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was not enough for the Thunder, who fell to 10-13.
Notable Player Stats
- LeBron James, F, LAL: 28 PTS, 14 REB, 12 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK
- Montrezl Harrell, C, LAL: 21 PTS, 8 REB
- Dennis Schroder, G, LAL: 19 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, G, OKC: 29 PTS, 10 AST, 7 REB
- Darius Bazley, F, OKC: 21 PTS, 16 REB, 3 AST
- Hamidou Diallo, G, OKC: 20 PTS, 11 REB
Ageless LeBron Leads Lakers to Another Victory
At some point LeBron, 36, is going to slow down, but that point will apparently not come during the 2020-21 campaign.
Nobody would have blamed James for easing into this season after winning another title less than three months before it started, but he is an MVP candidate who is putting up head-turning numbers. He did so again in his team's second straight overtime contest while carrying even more of the load with Davis and Alex Caruso sidelined.
All he did was sew up the triple-double before the end of the third quarter, which marked his second triple-double in three games.
He dictated the tempo with the ball in his hands as a point forward, didn't force anything outside of the rhythm of the offense and looked for his teammates when the Thunder collapsed on him. It also helped that the bench unit of Matthews, Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma and Talen Horton-Tucker combined for 56 points.
Dennis Schroder provided secondary scoring with 19 points and hit a go-ahead jumper with 34.6 seconds remaining right after LeBron assisted a Matthews three-pointer, stole the ball and converted a layup to turn a five-point deficit into a tie game.
Gilgeous-Alexander sank three free throws with 1.2 seconds left to wipe out Schroder's clutch pull-up and force overtime, but James helped make sure the Lakers wouldn't lose.
So, business as usual.
OKC's Collapse Spoils Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Performance
The Thunder came into Monday's game knowing things could only get better after their 29-point loss to the Lakers on Jan. 13.
Offense was the primary issue in that one, as OKC failed to reach the century mark with Gilgeous-Alexander the only one who scored more than 11 points. That type of effort will never work against a team featuring LeBron, and it was imperative the point guard received more help in the rematch.
He did, as Darius Bazley posted a double-double before halftime and Hamidou Diallo and Justin Jackson found their strokes as Gilgeous-Alexander dished out dimes.
That support put the Thunder in position to win, and it appeared as if they would when Gilgeous-Alexander took over late in the third quarter with a three-pointer to close the gap to two and assists on five straight baskets.
By the time he made two free throws in the final seconds of the period, the Thunder had turned a seven-point deficit into an eight-point lead.
It was a testament to the third-year playmaker's confidence that he went toe to toe with LeBron in crunch time of regulation and forced the extra period with his cold-blooded free throws. He didn't finish the job, but it isn't difficult to envision Gilgeous-Alexander as OKC's franchise cornerstone.
What's Next?
These two teams play again in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
