LeBron James scored more points in the fourth quarter than the whole LA Clippers squad, helping the Los Angeles Lakers overcome a 21-point deficit.
“When the final whistle has not yet sounded and the game clock has not yet reached 4 zeros, the game has not stopped,” LeBron James said, pointing to the electronic clock on the basketball board.
At an age when most of his peers have retired or simply play “floral” games to pass the time, LeBron James can still put a full team on his shoulders, carry the burden, and lead the squad to victory.
That’s what happened at Crypto.com Arena at 12:00 on February 29 Vietnam time, when the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 116-112 after trailing by 21 points in the fourth quarter.
The Los Angeles Clippers led the Los Angeles Lakers by 21 points in the fourth quarter but lost by a final score of 116-112.
The biggest deficit was generated by Mason Plumlee’s fourth-quarter scoring, which put the Los Angeles Clippers ahead 98-77. From here, the Los Angeles Lakers’ comeback began.
LeBron James “started the engine” with three 3-pointers in two minutes, contributing to a 14-2 run that cut the score to 91-100 and forced the Los Angeles Clippers to call a timeout with 8 minutes and 47 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
However, nothing changed, as the Lakers managed to cut the deficit to five points. LeBron scored 5 personal points and assisted on one more 3-pointer for D’Angelo Russell, prompting the Clippers to call another timeout at 6:53 (99-104).
LeBron James burst with 5 3-pointers in the final 10 minutes of the game.
Kawhi Leonard got two points to temporarily halt the Lakers’ momentum, but it didn’t matter because LeBron James continued to dominate.
“The King” went on another 5-0 scoring streak before assisting D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura, who combined for two more three-pointers to put the Los Angeles Lakers up 114-108 against the LA Clippers.
Following Leonard’s two difficult baskets, the LA Clippers have the opportunity to force overtime or win the game if they shoot three points successfully (114-112).
However, that situation did not occur when LeBron wrapped up Kawhi Leonard in the final phase, securing a dramatic comeback victory for the Los Angeles Lakers.
LeBron James finished the game with 34 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 37 minutes. LeBron James scored more points in the fourth quarter (19 points, 5-8 three-pointers) than the whole Los Angeles Clippers team combined (16 points). This figure does not include James’ four assists, which resulted in 11 additional points, including three 3-pointers from Russell and Hachimura.
Anthony Davis is just behind him, with 20 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 stella, and three blocks. Rui Hachimura tallied 17 points (8-15 FG). Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell delivered 13 and 18 points, respectively.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, this is a record comeback for LeBron James. During his 20-year NBA career, the “king” faced a 21-point deficit in the fourth quarter 136 times and never triumphed.
This time, James changed the script, writing a remarkable comeback victory. Even more spectacular and graceful was LeBron’s dominance in the closing 12 minutes of the game, when he hit five 3-pointers.
Not only did LeBron James create history, but so did the Los Angeles Lakers. The yellow and purple squad won for the first game since April 2003, entering the fourth quarter with a 19-point deficit.
The LA Clippers were without Paul George due to a knee injury, while striker Ivica Zubac was also unable to play.James Harden started hot, with 23 points and 9 assists, but cooled down at the end of the game.
Kawhi Leonard finished with 26 points (11-19 FG), 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, including many difficult shots near the end of the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, his performance alone was unable to help the LA Clippers defeat LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.