LeBron James may be the closest thing to an alien that most have seen in their lives. The 39-year-old perennial All-Star proved himself once again Wednesday.
Down 21 points to the upstart Los Angeles Clippers, who are currently 4th in the west and have a better record than the Los Angeles Lakers, currently 9th in the west, LeBron put on his crown and willed the Lakers to a dramatic victory over the Clippers in a thriller that reminded fans why they love basketball.
With five seconds left in the game, Clippers small forward Kawhi Leonard missed a 12-foot jump shot with five seconds to play. James would get the ball and throw a precision pass to Cam Reddish for a dunk that stunned all in attendance.
This is the last meeting of the season between the two rivals who're also co-tenants at the the downtown LA arena.
How Did Lebron Do?
LeBron hit five three-pointers down the stretch and finished the game with a season-high seven from way downtown. He outscored the Clippers by himself in the fourth quarter and either scored or assisted on 11 of the Lakers' last 13 baskets.
The Clippers appeared to be clicking on all cylinders early in the game but could not stop the one-man onslaught that was LeBron James.
The Klaw would finish with 26 points while James Harden would chip in 23 points and nine assists.
The Clippers have now lost back-to-back games for the first time since Dec. 23. They were a bit shorthanded in the absence of SF Paul George, who missed his second straight game with a sore left knee. Starting center Ivica Zubac was also out of the lineup due to illness.
But that didn't seem to matter early on as they amassed a 21-point lead and held it going into the fourth quarter. The Clippers led 98-77 going into the fourth quarter, but James would lead a 29-8 run in 7:34.
The Lakers tied the game on free throws from Anthony Davis that brought the score to 106-106 with four minutes remaining. James would then find Rui Hachimura off the bench for a clutch three-pointer just moments later.
D'Angelo Russell would help seal the deal with a bucket from behind the arc that put the Lakers up 114-108 with 1:12 remaining. Both Harden and Leonard scored on dribble drives to the basket and LeBron missed several shots, giving the Clips a sliver of hope.
However, Kawhi would miss a shot, which James would rebound and then hit Reddish with a pass on which he would score the final bucket of the game.
The Lakers won three of four over the Clippers this season, winning the season series for the first time since 2011-12. Davis had 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers, while Russell had 18 and Hachimura added 17.
