LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic and LeBron James have been introduced collectively for nights like these. The 2 Los Angeles Lakers superstars topped 30 factors every in a sport for the primary time this season.
Doncic had 34 factors, hitting 17 of 20 free throws, and 6 rebounds and eight assists. James had 31 factors on 12-of-18 taking pictures to go along with 9 rebounds and 6 assists.
The Lakers rallied for a 128-121 victory over the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies on Friday evening.
It was the third time total that Doncic and James each scored 30 or extra factors in the identical sport, their forty second collectively. It occurred twice in March, a month after Doncic joined the Lakers in a blockbuster commerce from Dallas.
“Simply enjoying in rhythm. Looking for ways in which we might be productive,” mentioned James, the NBA’s oldest lively participant who turned 41 on Tuesday. “Luka did an important job attending to the free throw line. Myself, simply making an attempt to sprinkle in slightly bit right here, slightly bit there. Simply making an attempt to be constant and tremendous environment friendly with my play. We labored nicely off one another.”
Doncic’s 17 made free throws have been one off his profession excessive, whereas his 20 makes an attempt have been a season excessive. As a crew, the Grizzlies have been 15 of 23 from the road.
“Simply making an attempt to get downhill much more than common for me,” Doncic mentioned. “However for him, he’s simply enjoying his sport, attacking no matter he sees, being environment friendly and serving to us win the video games.”
The Lakers improved to 11-0 in clutch-time wins this season. The sport was tied twice within the fourth, when the groups traded one-point leads till the ultimate 5 1/2 minutes. James had 10 factors within the interval and Doncic had six. They mixed for 5 assists and three rebounds.
“He was phenomenal,” Lakers coach JJ Redick mentioned about James. “There was only a few stretches there the place they made runs and the response from him, it felt like almost each time we would have liked a bucket, he simply sort of willed it.”
Doncic hit James with a 70-foot outlet cross at one level.
“Top-of-the-line quarterbacks and I’m a fairly good receiver relating to that,” James mentioned. “It’s my job to not permit the protection to interrupt that up or steal the ball. He put it on time and on the right track for me.”
Doncic and James bought loads of assist from their teammates. Jake LaRavia had 21 factors and 9 rebounds and Marcus Good had 13 factors, eight rebounds and 7 assists. Jaxson Hayes added 12 factors off the bench.
“Them doing that, it truly takes the strain and the load off LeBron and Luka,” Redick mentioned.
