On a beautiful Saturday night in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors faced off at Crypto.com Arena.
They met for the third time this season. Golden State led the series 2-0 and was looking for their third win against LA.
LeBron James had other plans. Led by his 56 points, his squad dismantled Stephen Curry and company on their way to a 124-116 win.
It was back-and-forth all game long, but the King would have none of it.
LEBRON IS ON FIRE ?
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 6, 2022
51 PTS FOR THE KING
(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/57dPxSodij
.@KingJames messed around and dropped 56 PTS (most as a Laker) against Golden State ? pic.twitter.com/vMmbt0bnD4
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) March 6, 2022
Of course, hats off to LeBron’s supporting cast. Malik Monk hit 4 three-pointers and grabbed three steals. Austin Reaves was also outstanding, as he scored 10 points and made defensive plays all game long.
Textbook defense from Austin Reaves ? pic.twitter.com/8ngvfVcxCh
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 6, 2022
Off the bench, Carmelo Anthony led the way with 14 points and had a clutch bucket to put the game away.
CARMELO ANTHONY HITS THE DAGGER???? pic.twitter.com/IUadER8JB0
— Ninja (@NinjaHoops_1) March 6, 2022
For the Warriors, Stephen Curry had 30 points on 13-22 shooting. Backcourt mate Klay Thompson had 7 points and struggled all night long.
Off the bench, Jonathan Kuminga and Jordan Poole combined for 41 points.
My Thoughts
The King continues to defy expectations.
To score 56 points and will your team to the finish line is no easy task. This is especially true when you’re 36 years old. But, when you’re LeBron James, anything is possible.
His performance wasn’t the only thing that stood out. There was energy across the whole team and the defensive effort from Reaves and Monk was outstanding. Carmelo Anthony also made things look difficult for Curry when guarding him.
In all, every Laker starter except Stanley Johnson finished with a positive plus-minus. Despite five turnovers, Russell Westbrook finished with 20 points and eight rebounds.
Let’s be realistic: this performance by the Lakers likely won’t happen every game. But, this could be the start of something good down the stretch.
Tonight’s game needs to be the standard. We shouldn’t expect LeBron to drop 50 every night. But, the team’s effort in this game needs to be replicated on a nightly basis.
Malik Monk runs down a loose ball and floats to the corner for the 3 ?
— NBA (@NBA) March 6, 2022
Watch Now on ABC pic.twitter.com/vDFqcDZPPH
Remember how I mentioned they would get blown out by 20 points? Let’s forget I ever said that.
The Lakers will face the Spurs on Monday. But, Lakers fans rejoice. Celebrate this win with your friends and family.
There’s a long way to go if this team wants to make it to the playoffs and win. This game was a great start.
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