The Lakers overcame a 21-point deficit led by LeBron James — who once again, rose to the occasion and delivered an exceptional performance, propelling the Lakers to victory over the Clippers.
James, known for being a clutch player, scored 19 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter alone — marking his highest scoring output in any single quarter this season. After this incredible showing, James is now only 40 points away from reaching his 40,000 point milestone.
The Lakers Comeback
With only 9.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter, and the Clippers had the opportunity to tie or win the game, the ball was in Kawhi Leonard's hands. Guarded by LeBron, Leonard had attempted his go-to fadeaway jumper, but it had come up short. James even grabbed the rebound and spotted Cam Reddish in prime position for the slam dunk that sealed their comeback win.
LeBron James is credited for the team's success in the showdown and was doing a little bit of everything. The Clippers, who had a commanding lead with the score standing at 98-77 in their favor early in the fourth quarter, saw LeBron James completely take over as he orchestrated a remarkable turnaround. He had single-handedly outscored the Clippers, 19 to the Clippers 16.
James had scored five triples with 4:31 remaining that sparked a major 29-8 run. Anthony Davis was also a force and knotted everything up at 106 with two made shots from the charity stripe.
Despite the Clippers' attempt to regain momentum, their efforts were prevented with a shot clock violation, granting the Lakers the ball back. Rui Hachimura capitalized on the moment with a stylish reverse layup with 2:24 to go.
Meanwhile, James Harden continued to produce, penetrating and driving down the lane. In response, LeBron found D'Angelo Russell with a precision pass, as Russell knocked down a triple with 1:12 that pushed the Lakers lead to 114-108.
Following a timeout, Leonard had immediately made an impact, scoring on back-to-back possessions with 36.3 seconds left. As the tension grew in the final moments, the Clippers couldn't close it out and the Lakers had ended up winning the battle of LA.
Following LeBron's 34 point performance was Anthony Davis — who contributed 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 assists. D'Angelo Russell added to the stat sheet 18 points, 2 rebounds, and 6 assists. Austin Reaves showed his all-around game with 13 points, 8 rebounds, and five assists.
On the Clippers side, Kawhi Leonard logged an impressive 39 minutes and emerged as their team's leading scorer with 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. Not far behind was James Harden — with 23 points, 3 rebounds, and nine assists. Additionally, Terrance Mann had 16 points, 6 rebounds, and two assists.
What's Next?
The Lakers next game will be against the Washington Wizards on Feb.29., with tip-off scheduled for 10:30 p.m. The Clippers will then play the Wizards on Mar. 1st.
Photo Courtesy: LeBron James Instagram
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