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2022.03.06 20:15 GMT+8

NBA highlights on March 5: James' record night ends Lakers' nightmares

Updated 2022.03.06 20:15 GMT+8
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LeBron James (#6) of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots in the game against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 5, 2022. /CFP

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors 124-116 at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday, securing their first win in the past five games.

Both sides have endured losing streaks recently – four for the Lakers and three for the Warriors – and lacked key members, especially on defense – Anthony Davis for the Lakers and Draymond Green for the Warriors.

Therefore, Saturday's game was more of an offensive contest, and LeBron James shined more than anyone else on the floor by dropping a season-high 56 points for the purple and gold.

"When they talk about the best scorers of all time, they never mention my name," James said on the latest episode of Uninterrupted's "The Shop" series earlier this week. "It pisses me off."

LeBron James (#6) of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks in the game against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 5, 2022. /CFP

At least on Saturday night, his scoring ability was unquestionable. No matter who the Warriors sent to defend him – Andrew Wiggins, Klay Thompson, Juan Toscano-Anderson or Jonathan Kumminga – James always found a way to score. He shot 19-for-31 from the field and 6-for-11 on 3-pointers, including draining three triples in a row in the last quarter, and knocked down 12 of his 13 free throws.

"Our guys were following me off the floor tonight going into the locker room and they asked me, 'How does it feel to score 56? I said, 'Right now, I don't give a d*** about the 56. I'm just happy we got a win.' That's just literally the first thing that came to my mind," James said after Saturday's game.

The other members of the Lakers made key contributions as well. Russell Westbrook went 8-for-11 under the rim to score 20 points. Malik Monk, Austin Reaves, Carmelo Anthony and D.J. Augustin combined for 11 triples, making it easier for James and Westbrook to charge the hoop. Moreover, Reaves and Anthony both grabbed clutch offensive rebounds for the team to make key shots.

Austin Reaves (#15) of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots in the game against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 5, 2022. /CFP

The Lakers remained ninth in the Western Conference after the win with a 28-35 record, one game above the following New Orleans Pelicans. The Warriors, meanwhile, dropped to third in the West (43-21) after suffering their eighth loss in the past 10 games.

Klay Thompson, who shot 3-for-13 from the field and 1-for-5 from beyond the arc, was one of the major reasons for the Warriors' loss. Scoring only seven points was far from enough to share the offensive load of Curry, not to mention distract the defenders from trapping Curry.

Despite that, Curry still scored 30 points for the Warriors. He and Jordan Poole, who had 23 points off the bench, were the reason why Golden State led for most of the game.

Stephen Curry (#30) of the Golden State Warriors shoots in the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 5, 2022. /CFP

"We cannot give in to this losing mentality," Curry said. "We're not that team, and I'm not going to let us be that team. ... We cannot give in to this losing spirit of just finding different ways to lose basketball games."

The other painful truth Saturday's loss revealed for the Warriors was that Jonathan Kuminga is not their replacement for Green. Kuminga played well against the Lakers to get 18 points and two steals, but he's a totally different player from Green. Kuminga has the potential to grow as a good one-on-one defender thanks to his size and athleticism and perhaps a reliable slasher from the weak side. But he doesn't have the court-reading ability of Green, either on offense or defense. Instead of trying to make Kuminga become something he is not, the Warriors should try to find ways to help him maximize his strengths.

Other games on Saturday (away teams come first):

Sacramento Kings 113-114 Dallas Mavericks

San Antonio Spurs 117-123 Charlotte Hornets

Philadelphia 76ers 82-99 Miami Heat

Orlando Magic 96-124 Memphis Grizzlies

Portland Trail Blazers 121-135 Minnesota Timberwolves

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