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0 In a recent NBA match, LeBron James had an outstanding performance of 25 points and 12 assists, shortly after being named to his record 20th NBA All-Star team. James led his team, the Los Angeles Lakers, to a 141-132 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night.
The Lakers had a spectacular game, with D’Angelo Russell scoring 29 points, hitting eight 3-pointers, and Anthony Davis scoring 22 points. Austin Reaves had 20 points and eight assists, while Jarred Vanderbilt contributed to the team’s success with a season-high of 17 points. The Lakers made 60.9% of their shots in their fourth win in six games.
In the second quarter, the Lakers had an impressive run, hitting 15 of their 18 shots and racking up a season-high 112 points through three quarters. This gave them a 24-point lead and helped them to weather the Bulls’ 39-point fourth quarter. The Lakers’ 141 points were a season high, as were the Bulls’ 132.
“We’re just playing the right way,” James said. “Guys are feeling very comfortable out there. We’ve got guys that can make shots. We’ve got guys that can make plays. Doesn’t matter who’s shooting.”
DeMar DeRozan, a Los Angeles-area native, led the Bulls with 32 points, scoring 14 of them in the fourth quarter. Six scorers for the Bulls had double figures, with Coby White adding 25 points, Nikola Vucevic contributing 20 points, and former Lakers guard Alex Caruso scoring 17.
Chicago coach Billy Donovan admitted that his team had dug themselves into a hole. “The difference in the game was the foul line for them. We fouled them too much. They shot astronomically well. The turnovers, and the close of the second quarter, really hurt.”
With this win, the Lakers went 6-6 to wrap up a 23-day stretch in which they had just one game outside Los Angeles. They’ll spend the next two weeks on a six-game road trip while the Grammy Awards take over their downtown arena.
Russell’s performance in the game was highly impressive, finishing one shy of his career-high in 3-pointers. He complicated the Lakers’ decisions on his future with another big game ahead of the trade deadline. Even though his contract is highly moveable, Los Angeles must decide whether it can get enough in return to shake up its .500 season – particularly if Russell can keep up this recent stretch of outstanding play.
“My confidence is through the roof, and I’m going to keep it there,” Russell said. “I just try to complement Bron and AD. I know they can get us out of games single-handedly, so just try to complement them, if that’s me shooting, facilitating, whatever that may be.”
James, who topped Abdul-Jabbar as the leading scorer in league history last season, became the first 20-time All-Star in NBA history earlier Thursday, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record. He will also start his 20th All-Star Game in his 21 seasons.
“I mean, I’ve exceeded expectations in my career, so it’s just humbling,” James said. “It’s very cool to be able to continue to have these compliments throughout your career, but I’ve exceeded anything than I ever dreamed that I would be in the NBA, and I did that a long time ago. Everything else is just kind of extra credit.”
Before the game, Donovan said star guard Zach LaVine will be out for at least another week before his ankle injury is re-evaluated. The UCLA product was frequently linked with the Lakers in trade rumors earlier this season.
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