The Los Angeles Lakers are heading to Las Vegas to play for the first NBA Cup as part of the final four of the in-season tournament. They punched their ticket by outlasting the Phoenix Suns, 106-103, on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Almost the entire second half was akin to a street fight; both teams traded blows in a grind-it-out affair. In the end, Los Angeles prevailed largely thanks to LeBron James, who had 15 points in the fourth quarter. He finished with 31 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds and five steals.
This was the sixth 30-plus-point game this season for James, who is a few weeks away from his 39th birthday. By putting up 31 points on Tuesday, he became the first NBA player to have 30-point games separated by at least 20 years.
November 29, 2003: LeBron James scores 33 points for the Cavs
December 5, 2023: LeBron James scores 31 points for the @Lakers
He's the first player in NBA history to have 30-point games 20+ years apart. pic.twitter.com/0dfC0nBuU4
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) December 6, 2023
His first career 30-point game came on Nov. 29, 2003, when his Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Memphis Grizzlies. The way he’s been going lately, it looks like he will have plenty of additional 30-point games before he hangs up his Nikes for good.
