SAN FRANCISCO – It took a statistical achievement that LeBron James had never achieved before in 1,463 career regular-season games, 10 extra minutes of playing time and two free throws with 1.2 seconds left before the Los Angeles star Lakers could claim victory over their longtime nemesis, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
The Lakers won 145-144 in double overtime on Saturday with James scoring a career-high 36 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists, besting Curry's game-high 46 points, including 15 in the periods. bonus, in an instant classic between the two infallible Hall of Famers.
“It's something I'll be able to talk to my grandchildren about,” James said of his confrontation with Curry. “When you talk about me getting to compete against one of the best players to ever play the game.”
The game was scheduled as part of NBA Rivals Week and did not disappoint, with James, 39, and Curry, 35, looking as masterful as they did when their teams met in the NBA Finals. four consecutive times.
“It's been a pleasure to go up against one of the best to ever play the game,” James said. “For us to continue to push each other on the state of our careers, we don't take it for granted because you don't know how many times you're going to have the moment to be on the same floor with What talent.”
While James' Lakers won the championship in 2020 for their fourth ring and Curry's Warriors won it all two years later for their fourth title, both players' teams have fallen on hard times.
The Lakers' victory lifted them to 24-23, ninth in the Western Conference. The loss left the Warriors with a 19-24 record, number 12 in the West.
However, for one night the team's records did not reflect the competition on the court.
“Every year we do this and we go back and forth, the battles (the finals, the playoff battles last year) after the horn sounded tonight there was a little laughter of, I can't imagine a scenario where a game like tonight happens, [with] “Him in season 21 and me in year 15,” Curry said. “You look forward to the battles, but you also appreciate the mutual respect of what it takes to keep doing what you're doing at this level. Only a few people know how hard it is. I'm happy to be in that group.”
James' clutch free throws were necessary because of Curry's brilliance down the stretch. He scored a layup over Anthony Davis with 5.9 seconds left in regulation to force overtime, and in overtime he hit a 3-pointer with 53.4 seconds left to cut Los Angeles' lead from four to one, setting up Klay Thompson to tie the score a couple of possessions later. to extend the action. In the second overtime, Curry hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key, his ninth of the night, to put the Warriors up by one with 5.9 seconds left.
That's when James, who missed a potential mid-range game-winner late in the first overtime, shoved Draymond Green and was fouled to set up the final free throws.
“I was able to get a little bit of an angle in the second overtime period and I was able to drive, kind of Eurostep to the right hand, and I was able to get a foul called against Draymond and I stepped up and made the free throws,” James said.
The victory jump-started a crucial six-game trip for Los Angeles as it tries to make up for the month-long tailspin that followed its victory in the season tournament championship in Las Vegas.
The Lakers will visit the Houston Rockets on Monday and hope that Davis, who had to leave the game after suffering hip spasms, can play.
But the night provided an opportunity to look back, rather than forward, as James and Curry added another chapter to their intertwined story.
“You have to give LeBron credit for what he's doing at his age. I mean, that guy is a phenomenon in terms of his ability to play at this level for so long. Same goes for Steph,” Thompson said. “When you're younger, you never think basketball will stop because it's what you love. It's all you do. But when you get to your 30s, you realize there's an endpoint to being an athlete. Knowing that “I'm very grateful to step on the court with those guys and play against LeBron.”
