With a convincing 123-103 victory over the Toronto Raptors, the Los Angeles Lakers improved their season record to 6-4. LeBron James spent most of Sunday’s game in a supporting role to Anthony Davis. But when Davis was hit in the eye, four-time MVP LeBron stepped up and led the team to win.
Anthony Davis scored 22 points before he left the game in the third quarter. He hurt his eye while trying to block a shot by Jakob Poeltl. After that, LeBron James took the charge.
While he did not score as much as Davis—19 points—he adjusted with a season-high 16 assists and 10 rebounds to lead the Lakers to victory. The most surprising thing is LeBron James’ age. At 39, he is still playing better than many younger players.
In this game, he got his 115th career triple-double and his third this season. Despite Austin Reaves’ and D’Angelo Russell’s noteworthy performances, it was the King who stole the show. He impressed the crowd with his great performance when it was needed most.
LeBron James praises Russell’s sacrifice for the team
Before their previous game against the Sixers, coach JJ Redick made a change by benching D’Angelo Russell and starting Cam Reddish. The change worked, and both players helped the Lakers win 116-106.
Russell, in a contract year, accepted his new role on the bench, showing he cared about the team’s success. LeBron James praised his teammate for being unselfish.
After the win, James said, “What allowed it to work was the sacrifices that DLo and Cam have continued to make, and obviously the biggest sacrifice is DLo going to the bench.”
He added, “It’s no secret that our bench has been struggling to find ways to score… . DLo came in and gave us a big-time push off the bench….so it was a compliment that worked on both sides, offensively and defensively for our ball club.”
