LeBron James has embarrassed Father Time time and again over the past several years, but the 41-year-old defied all logic in Thursday's 134-126 win against the Miami Heat. After back-to-back wins against the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center, the Los Angeles Lakers arrived in South Beach around 4 p.m. local time. Athletes need their sleep, especially when they have back-to-back games, and especially when they are in their 23rd NBA season.
However, the greatest player of all time showed no effect of the small change. He scored 19 points on 8 of 12 shooting with 15 rebounds and 10 assists, his 124th career triple-double. Luka Doncic was the best player on the night, leading the Heat with an impressive 60 points, but James' huge contributions should also be highlighted. The Slovenian superstar made sure to do so while showing great appreciation to his teammate.
"Like I said yesterday, you know without him, we're not going to win," Doncic told Spectrum SportsNet's Mike Trudell. “So the way he's playing, he's incredible to watch and incredible to watch.”
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When the Lakers struggled to maintain momentum from December to February, some people pointed fingers at James. Many NBA fans believe that the four-time Finals MVP's defensive limitations will prevent the Lakers from advancing in the NBA Playoffs. The team is performing incredibly well right now, however, winning eight consecutive games and sitting in third place in the West.
Now that Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves are all healthy, LA looks like a real championship contender. The biggest member of that trio is actually a big reason why the Lakers have achieved such a position in the latter half of the regular season.
James will continue to let Doncic take the lead offensively, but when the opportunity arises, he will do his best to spark the offense as both a scorer and playmaker. The atmosphere in Los Angeles has surprisingly matched the team's excellent form.
The Purple and Gold (45-25) continue their six-game road trip when they take on the Orlando Magic (38-31) this Saturday at the Kia Center.
