LeBron James turns 39 on December 30, yet he continues to play like a young man. This was evident in the Lakers‘ win over the Phoenix Suns with a score of 122:119.
It was a true clash of veterans at the “Footprint Center.” On one side, Kevin Durant at 35, and on the other, the three years older James. For much of the game, it seemed that the battle would belong to one of the greatest shooters of all time, especially when Durant unleashed his full potential in the third quarter, and Phoenix maintained a double-digit lead. However, LeBron received greater support from his team, which completely stepped up in the final sequence, staged a comeback, and then triumphed over the Suns in a thrilling finish.
While Durant did score 38 points (with nine rebounds and five assists), compared to LeBron’s 32 (11 rebounds, six assists), his shooting accuracy faltered when it mattered most. With 1:51 left, he threw the ball off the first rim after a turnaround shot, then at 48 seconds missed a long-distance attempt. In the following possession, the Lakers capitalized, and Taurean Prince scored to take a 120:113 lead. Despite an unexpected chance for a comeback, it ultimately did not materialize.
LeBron James dominated throughout the entire game, dismantling opposing guards as he did in his prime. He physically dominated in the opponent’s paint, drawing fouls and causing problems for the opposing basketball players.
Without him tonight, coupled with the somewhat confused performance of Anthony Davis, who mainly scored 18 points from the free-throw line with a modest 5-14 field goal shooting, the “Lake Show” would have effectively lost the game. However, an immeasurable contribution to the visitors’ win came from Cam Reddish, starting with a three-pointer at the buzzer at the end of the third quarter, bringing the Lakers’ deficit to 96:89. The final quarter began, and Reddish continued where he left off, along with Rui Hachimura’s long-range shots, steering the California team back on track.
With an 11:0 run, the Lakers, who were trailing by a maximum of 14 points during the second quarter, took the lead at 100:96.
It was clear that we were in for a wild ending, and that’s exactly what we got. At times, we witnessed a shootout between two fired-up teams, Austin Reaves hitting his shots from distance and mid-range, while Phoenix stayed in the game with Durant, Bradley Beal, and Jusuf Nurkic.
At 120:113, Grayson Allen made a desperation three, but immediately after the inbound, Beal managed to steal it from Reaves. Initially, the referees called a foul on the Phoenix player, but after a challenge by Coach Frank Vogel, they reversed the decision. However, Keita Bates-Diop missed an open three with 11 seconds left that would have brought the Suns within just one point.