LeBron returns with near triple-double in OT win
LeBron James finishes just an assist shy of a triple-double with 24 points, 14 rebounds and 9 assists in the Lakers’ overtime win vs. the Clippers. (1:18)
LOS ANGELES — About an hour before LeBron James made his long-awaited return, the Los Angeles Lakers star had a quick story to share with his locker room neighbor Rajon Rondo.
“You were in my dream this afternoon,” James said.
Rondo, always thinking ahead, asked, “Was I holding up a trophy?”
The Lakers’ chase for a Western Conference playoff berth received a major boost with James’ return Thursday night against the LA Clippers. After a 17-game absence, James had to work overtime. And despite not looking like his normal explosive self, the All-Star still nearly had a triple-double with 24 points, 14 rebounds and 9 assists in a 123-120 win over the Clippers.
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When James went down with a groin injury he suffered during a Christmas night win at Golden State, the Lakers stood 20-14 and fourth in the Western Conference, just 2.5 games back of the Nuggets and Warriors for first in the conference. But without James, the Lakers went 6-11 and fell to ninth place and 10.5 games back of the first-place Warriors.
James’ return means everything for the Lakers and comes at a crucial time. The team is in the midst of a difficult portion of its schedule with the next five games on the road at Golden State, Indiana, Boston, Philadelphia and Atlanta before the All-Star break. The Lakers then play a home game against Houston before hitting the road again at New Orleans and Memphis.
Thursday night’s game between the Staples Center hallway neighbors could have big consequences considering both L.A. teams are vying for a playoff spot with the Clippers entering the night two games ahead of the Lakers in the standings at eighth place.
“This is the West,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said before the game when asked whether this might be a time to get injured players healthy with the All-Star break approaching. “You got to really win every game you can win. … You get a healthy body, you’re taking it. This is no longer like the old All-Star break where you have all these games left afterwards.
“In the West, for the most part, the playoff race has started for everybody.”
The Lakers appear to be getting healthy again. After undergoing surgery to repair a finger on his right shooting hand for the second time this season, Rondo just returned last Thursday, and had 14 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists against the Clippers. Also joining James in the lineup was Kyle Kuzma, who missed the previous two games with a hip injury. Kuzma contributed 10 points and two assists in the win.
Lonzo Ball remains out until late February at the earliest with a Grade 3 sprained ankle but was walking without a boot in the locker room before the game.
James, who even napped in a hyperbaric chamber to speed up his recovery, was originally listed as out on Wednesday but was upgraded to doubtful Thursday morning.
Despite practicing full court with contact, James didn’t throw down any tomahawk dunks in his practices leading up to the game and Walton was asked how explosive James might be.
“We’ll find out,” Walton said. “I know he has that explosion still.”
Early on, James clearly looked like he was feeling his way back after a 37-day layoff, the longest of his career. He missed his first perimeter shot and had an errant behind-the-back pass go for a turnover.
James largely stayed on the perimeter, bringing up the ball at times and shooting just 1-for-6 from 3-point range. And he looked like he didn’t have much lift on deep perimeter shots off his left leg, the side of the groin he injured. He made 9 of 22 shots overall.
James, 34, didn’t show much of his usual explosiveness but had his strongest moves in the post. With 5:07 remaining and the Lakers’ 14-point lead shrinking down to 105-103, James backed in Jerome Robinson before knocking down an 18-foot fadeaway.
And then after Brandon Ingram — who followed up a career-high 36 points against Philadelphia with 19 points — missed a 3-pointer, James hauled in an offensive rebound from behind Tobias Harris before scoring on a putback to push the Lakers up 111-103 with 3:17 left.
Later with a chance to give the Lakers a six-point lead, James missed a 3 with 1:25 left. Harris then tied the game at 112-all with a wide-open 3 with 35.9 seconds left.
After the Lakers got a stop, James made his strongest move of the night by driving hard into the paint on Harris only to lose the ball out of bounds with 3.4 seconds remaining.
In overtime, James was exactly what the Lakers were missing during his absence. He made the first basket on a driving layup and drew a double in the post before finding Rondo for a baseline jumper. He delivered a perfect alley-oop pass to JaVale McGee, who missed the dunk.
But James buried a contested fallaway 13-footer to put the Lakers up 120-118, and then Lance Stephenson scored while being fouled for a 3-point play that pushed the Lakers up five before they held on for a much-needed win.