The King comes through in the clutch one more time. Following a three-game losing streak against inferior opponents, LeBron James, Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers have finally gotten back on track and come out on top.
On Wednesday night, LeBron, three games into his return from a groin injury that sidelined him for two weeks, helped guide the Lakers to a 120-119 victory over Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers. And LeBron, once again, was the hero of the night.
With just mere seconds left on the clock and the Lakers down by a single point, Doncic drove to the basket and attempted a go-ahead floater with a second left. It bounced around the rim Kawhi Leonard style, before LeBron was able to tip it in as the buzzer sounded, securing Los Angeles’ 44th win of the season.
“I really couldn’t really have too much emotion because I was trying to see if I got the ball off in time, to be honest,” James said after the win. “But after they showed the replay on it, it was definitely gratifying.”
James, who celebrated his 40th birthday on December 30, became the oldest player in NBA history to record a game-winning buzzer-beater, doing so at the age of 40 years and 86 days old, according to StatMamba.
“Just shows you what he’s about,” Lakers guard Austin Reaves said. “He’s a winner at heart. That’s really it.”
Embed from Getty ImagesLeBron now has eight game-winning buzzer-beaters in his 22-year career, tied for 2nd-most in league history with Kobe Bryant and Joe Johnson. He only trails Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan for the most game-winning buzzer-beaters in NBA history. Jordan finished his six-championship 15-year career with nine game-winning buzzer-beaters. His last came at 38 years and 348 days old as a member of the Washington Wizards.
This also marked LeBron’s first game-winning buzzer-beater in the ‘Purple and Gold’ with the Lakers. His seventh came on May 5, 2018, when he was with his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, defeating the Toronto Raptors in heartbreaking fashion in the playoffs.
In the win, LeBron finished with 13 points on 4-of-12 from the field, 13 rebounds and seven assists. Doncic added a game-high 34 points on 11-of-21 shooting, seven rebounds and seven assists.
“It felt like a game we won three times, and we lost three times, and we ended up winning the game,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “And it’s hard to win in the NBA. It’s hard to win against a great team like Indiana. Frankly, they don’t ever get talked about enough nationally. They’re a phenomenal basketball team.”
The win in ‘Naptown’ served as a reminder that every game, and every second, will matter down the stretch.
“The game is never over until it says zeroes on the clock, literally, tonight,” James said. “And just keeping our composure throughout it all.”
The Lakers (44-28) will continue their four-game road trip on Thursday against Coby White and the Chicago Bulls. Then, they will get the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, March 29.
