There is a reason why LeBron James is considered the backbone of the Los Angeles Lakers. His ability to make them win against any opposition single-handedly has made him a valuable asset to the team.
On Thursday night, James scored 27 points along with 10 assists and 10 rebounds in the second half to secure a commanding 114-93 victory for the Lakers against Denver Nuggets.
This performance has helped James to move into 3rd place on the NBA’s all-time goalscorers list. He also recorded his career’s 96th triple-double – a second in this season – helping the Lakers to record their 11th win in 14 games.
James scored his career’s 12,682nd point midway through the first quarter pushing him ahead in the third place, replacing Wilt Chamberlain. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (15,837), and Karl Malone (13,528) are ahead of him with more points in league history.
The Lakers were in control of the game all through the night. But they played exceptionally well in the final two-quarters of the match – thanks to James and Horton-tucker. Tucker impressively drove himself into the position, and scored back-to-back four straight points, along with two steals and a block.
Anthony Davis also scored 13 points and nine rebounds during the match, helping the Lakers to build an impressive lead over the Denver Nuggets.
On the other hand, Denver got aggressive to snatch the lead from the Lakers. They did take a 12-point lead well into halftime having a 29-16 edge but were no match to the expertise displayed by the Lakers on the field. The Lakers managed to secure a 15-0 lead in the third quarter.
This is the second loss for the Nuggets in eight games. Jamal Murray and Monte Morris fought till the end by scoring 20 and 16 points respectively, but in the end, the Lakers were too strong for their opponents.
In the next game, the Los Angeles Lakers will be hosting the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.
