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LeBron James and the LA Lakers held off the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road for a 121-115 win. The four-time MVP wasn't his usual impressive self in his only scheduled game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Arena this season. Still, he did just enough to help the Lakers bounce with a win after Wednesday’s loss against the Dallas Mavericks. Late in the game, he showed off a little of the hops that made him a staple in highlight reels.
The Lakers hung on to a 115-112 lead with little over a minute left in the game. A lead pass from Austin Reaves gave the Akron, Ohio native a free lane to attack the rim. After a rim-rattling slam, James savored the moment a bit and hung on the rim longer than what was allowed.
LeBron James received a technical foul, the Lakes’ second for the same infraction this season, and seemed to say to the referee:
“Of course you’d call that”
The Cavaliers scored a point after the resulting free throw from the technical foul. Jarrett Allen’s alley-oop jam cut LA’s lead to 117-115 with 58.2 seconds left in the game. The Lakers would add four more points while keeping the rim sealed against Cleveland to grab the win.
James had 12 points in the first half, hitting 4-8 shots. He also had four assists and three rebounds. The NBA’s all-time points leader was hardly a factor in the third quarter, scoring just two points. Fortunately, he poured in eight more in the pivotal period. Four of his points came within the last minute and a half in the game.
For the game, LeBron James ended with 22 points on 8-23 shooting, including 1-9 from deep. He added six rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks. Anthony Davis stepped up big in James’ off-night. AD tallied 32 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals against arguably the NBA’s best defensive frontline.
LeBron James and the LA Lakers play six of their next seven games on the road
The game against the Cleveland Cavaliers was the first of a four-game road trip. Up next for them will be a mouthwatering clash against reigning MVP Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers. On Wednesday, they go to Motor City to visit the Detroit Pistons. The Lakers will cap off their road trip with an intriguing matchup against the OKC Thunder on Thursday.
LeBron James and crew will return to Crypto.com Arena on Saturday to host the Houston Rockets. From there they are scheduled to start another three-game road swing, which will take them to Texas.
On Dec. 12, the Lakers will get a much-awaited rematch with the Dallas Mavericks. Luka Doncic’s team escaped with a 104-101 victory in Hollywood on Nov. 22.
After the Mavericks’ rematch, LeBron James and Anthony Davis will finally have their first crack at Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs. The exciting rookie is considered a generational talent not seen since “King James” jumped out of high school 21 years ago.
LA’s dealing with injuries and they will have six of their seven games on the road. Basketball fans will be excited to see how they will deal with the adversity.
