LeBron James stats tonight: How did Lakers superstar fare vs Paul George-led 76ers? (Nov. 8)
LeBron James' triple-double helped the LA Lakers bounce back with a much-needed 116-106 victory against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Crypto.com Arena on Friday. 'The King,' who started with six assists in the opening quarter, ended with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists.
He received more than ample support from Anthony Davis (31 points and nine rebounds), and Austin Reaves (20 points) to help LA improve to 5-4 this season.
The four-time NBA champion's facilitating and ball-sharing enabled the Purple and Gold to end the first quarter with a 39-26 lead. James scored his first points in the second quarter when he barrelled to the rim for a bucket. The league's all-time leading scorer was 3-6 from the field and 0-2 from beyond the arc. He ended the first half with five boards and seven assists.
The Lakers went into halftime with a 68-60 lead with LeBron James at seven points. The 39-year-old erupted in the second half to end with 21 points.
LeBron James' stellar night garners rare appreciation from Skip Bayless
Skip Bayless seldom praises LeBron James, but the analyst chose the win over the 76ers to lavish some accolades on the veteran forward. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), he called James the most durable superstar ever, crediting his longevity. James is in his 22nd year in the NBA.
"LEBRON JAMES: MOST DURABLE SUPERSTAR EVER. NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. JUST BANGED KNEES WITH RUI, SHOOK IT RIGHT OFF, SCORED TWICE BANG-BANG. NEVER HAD A CAREER-THREATENING SURGERY. RAREST OF RARE."
Bayless was referring to the injury scare when James collided with teammate Rui Hachimura as they went to grab a rebound. James was seen clutching his knee. However, he returned after a timeout and responded with two key buckets for LA.
This season, facilitating has been his primary task as he plays a more hybrid point-forward role for the Lakers. He is averaging 24.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 7.5 assists so far this season, and has been a force for the side alongside Davis.
Up next, LeBron James and the Lakers host the Toronto Raptors at home, followed by another skirmish against the Memphis Grizzlies. It will be interesting to see if James and co. can exact payback for the loss handed to them earlier this week.