LEBRON JAMES totaled 33 points, seven rebounds and six assists as the Los Angeles Lakers led most of the way and recorded a 106-96 over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night in New York.
The Lakers led for the final 37:45, improved to 2-1 on their six-game road trip and welcomed Anthony Davis back after the center had missed 17 games with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee.
Davis had a dunk on the game’s first possession and finished with eight points in 25 minutes. The Lakers had gone 7-10 without him.
James made 14 of 21 shots and highlighted his league-leading 22nd 30-point showing with consecutive thunderous dunks midway through the fourth.
Malik Monk hit six 3-pointers and added 22 points as the Lakers shot 47.2%. Russell Westbrook added 15 points and Carmelo Anthony chipped in 13.
James Harden notched a triple-double of 33 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, but it was not nearly enough as the Nets dropped to 2-3 since losing Kevin Durant to a sprained left knee on Jan. 15.
Patty Mills added 15 points and DeAndre’ Bembry contributed 12 as the Nets shot 42%, lost for the ninth time in 15 games and dropped to 2-7 in their past nine home games.
After the Lakers missed their first eight shots of the fourth, Westbrook hit a layup and James then intercepted a pass from Harden and coasted in for a windmill dunk with 6:58 left. On the next possession, James intercepted a pass by Brooklyn’s James Johnson and soared in for a one-handed dunk to make it 100-85.
James then hit another layup with 4:03 remaining for a 104-89 lead after Stanley Johnson intercepted a pass by Harden near midcourt.
The Lakers ended the first quarter on a 12-2 run for a 33-25 lead when James hit a layup at the buzzer. Los Angeles opened a 42-29 lead with about nine minutes left in the half when Monk and Anthony hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions. The Lakers led 62-53 at half time.
A free throw by Harden got the Nets within 71-70 with 6:32 remaining in the third quarter, but the Lakers surged ahead again, taking an 86-76 lead on a layup by Westbrook with 2:28 remaining and a 92-78 lead into the fourth. — Reuters
