LeBron James produced a vintage 34-point night, bidding the LA Clippers adieu from the Crypto.com Arena in their final 'home game' at the shared venue with the LA Lakers on Wednesday. LeBron went berserk in the fourth quarter as the Lakers completed a 25-point turnaround in the second half to win 116-112.
The Lakers seemed dusted at the end of the third quarter. The players on the floor also seemingly gave up, nodding their heads after every miss and shrugging their shoulders after every turnover.
However, LeBron James, who was on the sidelines at the end of the third, didn't miss the chance to shut down his critics again as he watched on from the bench. Once the 39-year-old entered the game in the fourth, he began and closed the quarter like he was still in his prime, willing his team to win for the ages.
The NBA's all-time leading score produced 19 points in the final 12 minutes, outscoring the Clippers by three points himself. The Lakers won the final frame 39-16 to seal their improbable comeback win. LeBron not only delivered on offense but also on the defensive end as he locked down Kawhi Leonard in the clutch.
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LA Lakers fans go berserk as LeBron James wills the LA Lakers to a memorable win over LA Clippers
LeBron James' performance had the Lakernation hyped as one fan on X, formerly Twitter, wrote:
"MY GLORIOUS KING LEBRON SAVED ME"
More reactions followed:
LeBron James secures biggest fourth-quarter comeback win of his career
LeBron James continues to break the boundaries of what a 39-year-old athlete can do in the NBA. On Wednesday, he recorded his biggest fourth-quarter comeback win. The Lakers trailed the Clippers by 19 points before the last quarter started. LeBron couldn't have played a more prominent role in this turnaround than he did.
He contributed to 10 of the Lakers' last 12 field goals. LeBron had five 3s in that stretch, two 2s and three assists. Two of those dimes led to D'Angelo Russell 3s, while the last was a breakout dunk for Cam Reddish on the final possession that sealed the win.
"The game is not ever over until it's double zeroes," LeBron said about his record win.
The Lakers also completed the season series win over their crosstown rivals, claiming a 3-1 victory for the first time in a decade. The last time the Lakers won their season series against the Clippers was in 2011-12.
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