HomeViralLeBron James goes ballistic in jaw-dropping double-OT showdown against Stephen Curry and...

LeBron James goes ballistic in jaw-dropping double-OT showdown against Stephen Curry and the Warriors

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LeBron James and Stephen Curry balled out in the Lakersโ€™ thrilling win over the Warriors.

On Saturday night at the Chase Center, LeBron James โ€” the oldest player in the NBA โ€” set a career-high with 20 rebounds, became the first Los Angeles Lakers player to drop a 30-20-10 triple-double since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1976, and led his team to a 145-144 double-overtime win over Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

The increasingly resilient Lakers clawed back from a 15-point deficit. James was flanked by a hobbled Anthony Davis (45 minutes, 29 points, 13 rebounds), Dโ€™Angelo Russell (49 minutes, 29 points), Austin Reaves (47 minutes, 17 points, six assists), and Jarred Vanderbilt (14 points, nine rebounds, five assists, four steals, +30) โ€” all of whom eclipsed 40 minutes and played the vast majority of crunch- and extra-time.

In 48 minutes, the 39-year-old tallied 36 points on 14-for-25 shooting, to go along with the 20 boards and 12 assists. His clutch free throws with 1.2 seconds left โ€” resulting from a hard paint attack โ€” put the Lakers in front, once and for all (he missed a runner at the end of OT).

โ€œIโ€™m very thankful that I get to coach him,โ€ said Darvin Ham, who called the win a โ€œshot in the armโ€ for his 24-23 ballclub. (Vanderbilt expressed similar sentiments).

Curry poured in 46 points, highlighted by a dazzling layup around Davis to force overtime and an array of clutch buckets in overtime. His triple with 5.9 seconds put the Warriors up one before LeBronโ€™s response.

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โ€œHow does it keep getting better,โ€ LeBron could be heard telling Curry on the court.

The subtext became the text throughout this thriller. Ostensibly, this game is about the Lakers beating the Warriors โ€” two marquee West foes seeking consistency and play-in positioning โ€” and the countless decisions and bounces that produced a one-point margin.

Beyond the 2023-24 context, though, this instant classic served as a never-unwelcome reminder to appreciate these two intertwined icons, whose remaining showdowns are, theoretically, numbered.

โ€œItโ€™s something Iโ€™ll be able to talk about with my grandkids, talk about being able to compete with one of the greatest players to ever play the game,โ€ said LeBron. โ€œItโ€™s been a treatโ€ฆ For us to be able to push each other at this stage of our careers, you just donโ€™t take it for granted.โ€

LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry. It never gets old. At some point, these guys will, too.


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