SAN FRANCISCO – LeBron James dribbled down the court on a quick one-man block before finishing past several Golden State defenders for an and-1 layup on the Warriors’ bright yellow court midway through the third quarter. time.
The scene that Bay Area fans had seen unfold dozens of times over the past decade played out again on Christmas Day, as James faced Olympic teammate Steph Curry and the Warriors.
After the Lakers withstood a last-second Curry blitz and got a layup from Austin Reaves to win 115-113, James sat in his visiting locker and had a succinct answer as to why which fans should tune into the NBA amid a ratings crisis.
“LeBron and Steph,” James said.
After James scored 31 points and Curry had a star-studded 38 on Christmas Day, it’s hard to argue with the league’s all-time leading scorer. But how much longer will this be true?
Although the teams will meet three more times during the regular season, the Lakers won a game that could go down in the history books as James’ final Christmas Day showdown with Curry.
“I’m just enjoying the moment, I’m grateful,” James said. “A lot of gratitude to be able to play the game I love and to do it on such a beautiful day. I had the luxury, I think today was my 19th time playing over Christmas, so you know I don’t take for granted going up against one of the greatest players to ever play the game. game and one of the biggest franchises since I’ve been around. the league.
With James, who turns 40 on Dec. 30, having made public statements hinting at his retirement over the past year, he and the Lakers organization know games like Wednesday’s should be cherished.
“It’s been great and different,” Lakers coach JJ Reddick said. “Part of it is him enjoying the moment. There aren’t many left, and that’s just the reality.
The Lakers secured the victory when Austin Reaves made a layup with one second left in the game. That clutch shot came just six seconds after Curry made his second 3-pointer in the final 12 seconds, a triple that left James both annoyed and amazed.
“You just have to tip your hat, because he’s a great player and you just have to tip your hat,” James said. “You feel like, ‘(expletive), against us, why?’” But as a fan, you’re like, ‘How did he do that?’ because he’s special. You certainly appreciate it.
What was once a perennial barn burner for Christmas Day from 2015 to 2018 has been renewed after a six-year hiatus.
On a day when the NFL aired two blowouts, James and Curry were the stars of the NBA’s iconic Christmas extravaganza. Again.
“I love the NFL, but Christmas is our day,” James said on ESPN after winning his record 11th game on Christmas Day.
James’ Cleveland Cavaliers and Curry’s Warriors met in four straight Finals from 2015 to 2018, with the Warriors winning every game except 2016, when James and Co. came back from 3-1 down to win the franchise’s first and only title to date.
Since then, the James-led Lakers have defeated the Warriors in the 2021 play-in tournament and the 2023 Western Conference Semifinals.
Although the Lakers’ victory certainly didn’t have the stakes of these playoffs or the finals of the late 2010s – the Lakers (17-13) and the Warriors (15-14) are the seventh and eighth seeds in Western Conference series – it didn’t lack intensity.
After Anthony Davis left the game with a sprained ankle in the first quarter, the Lakers’ perennial superstar had to put on a vintage King James performance, scoring 31 goals and dishing out 10 assists just two days after compiling a triple -double of 28 points against the Pistons.
The Lakers’ lineup late in the first quarter — youngsters Christian Koloko and rookie Dalton Knecht paired with middling veterans Gabe Vincent and Cam Reddish — was a throwback to James’ lack of support in a few of those aforementioned Finals.
But it was only a fleeting moment. Reaves stepped in in the absence of injured guard and former Warrior D’Angelo Russell. He had a 26-point triple-double and scored the final four points to give James the help he needed.
“It happened to a hand we trust,” is how James described the final game. “The play was built for me, and they double-teamed me at the top of the key, and it’s always good to have good options on the field at the same time.” AR has been in this position.
James added to his record on Christmas Day in points (507) and games played (19).
How many more games on Christmas Day will the Bay Area see James play against his team’s superstar goaltender? This remains to be determined. But if it truly was James and Curry’s final duel on Dec. 25, the legacy of both is ironclad.
“The same way Magic and Larry did in the 1980s and MJ in the 1990s, and Kobe for a long time, they somehow carried the league,” Lakers coach said , JJ Reddick. “The popularity, the growth and all that, they contributed a lot to it.”
Originally published:
