LeBron James is no longer a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, but he made his mark on the franchise during his eight years with it. He consistently played at a high level during that time, even if certain aspects of his game had clearly slipped, and he delivered an NBA championship in 2020.
As we take a look at James’ greatest performances as a member of the Lakers in chronological order, we go back to the final weekend before the 2019-20 season was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That was when the Lakers made a statement that they were truly the team to beat in the NBA.
Outdueling Giannis Antetokounmpo
On Friday, March 6, the Lakers hosted Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, who had the best record in the NBA. Los Angeles came into that contest comfortably in first place in the Western Conference with a 47-13 record, but they had yet to defeat the Bucks or the Los Angeles Clippers. Victories against both teams would be needed for the general public to truly believe that the Lakers had a real chance of winning the NBA championship.
The Lakers got off to a slow start in this game, scoring just 19 points in the first quarter and falling behind by as many as nine points in the second quarter. But they ended the half with a surge that allowed them to tie the score at 48 at halftime, and after that, they turned it on.
After falling behind 55-50 early in the second half, they scored 18 unanswered points to take control of the game. James led the way with 14 points in the period, and a stellar performance from him drove the Purple and Gold to a convincing 113-103 victory.
He finished with 37 points on 12-of-21 field-goal shooting and 12-of-15 from the free throw line, eight rebounds, eight assists and three steals. At times, James guarded Antetokounmpo, who ended up with 32 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Anthony Davis added 30 points, nine boards and two blocks.
Less than 48 hours later, the Lakers defeated the Clippers 112-103 in a Sunday afternoon game, with James dropping 28 points, eight rebounds and nine assists while Davis scored 30 points again. The season was suspended on March 11 due to the pandemic, but once it resumed, the Lakers resumed their excellent play and steamrolled their way to their 17th NBA championship inside the Walt Disney World Resort bubble.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: LeBron James’ greatest games with the Lakers: Outdueling Giannis
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire | USA TODAY Network
