The energy was flowing from the Lakers, LeBron James’ teammates placing an imaginary crown on his head after he scored nine points on three shots over 38 seconds in the second quarter.
It was a statement, the game’s all-time leading scorer putting on a show while his future partner, Luka Doncic, watched from the bench in his first appearance in front of Lakers fans in his new home.
The building shook Thursday as the Lakers led the Golden State Warriors by as many as 26 points in the first half, the team continuing a stretch of basketball in which it looked every bit of a championship contender.
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But energy is funny — it doesn’t take much for it to shift.
Austin Reaves couldn’t get a jumper to fall. Subtitutes like Moses Moody and Pat Spencer, the latter playing only because the Warriors decimated their depth in a deal for Jimmy Butler, began to score.
Draymond Green started to jaw and to annoy, shoving Jarred Vanderbilt on one possession and dragging Gabe Vincent into the first row on another.
If the Warriors were going to lose the game, they at least were going to try to win the fight.
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The Warriors tested the Lakers, cutting that 26-point lead to five with less than four minutes to go. Stephen Curry, whom the Lakers had kept mostly under wraps early as they built their lead, got hot and the game got tight.
But James’ sixth three-pointer — his only one of the second half — gave the Lakers just enough room to survive in a 120-112 win, a game in which they never trailed and never totally lost their composure.
The cushion the Lakers (30-19) played with largely came from James, who was great most of the game after being nearly perfect in the first half. He made his first five threes on his way to becoming, at 40, the oldest player to score 40 points and grab at least 15 rebounds. He finished with 42 points, 17 rebounds and eight assists.
More help is coming soon. Doncic likely will make his debut Monday against Utah. The team also could get center Mark Williams, whom it traded for Wednesday, in time for its game Saturday against Indiana.
The Lakers got enough from their supporting cast, winning for the 10th time in 12 games. While Reaves struggled from the field, missing all nine of his threes, he made 15 of 16 from the line and also hit a key basket late to help cool the Warriors’ comeback. He finished with 23 points. Gabe Vincent added 15, with Curry leading the Warriors (25-26) with 37 points while needing 35 shots.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
