NBA: LeBron outduels Steph Curry as Lakers take 2OT win over Warriors

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SAN FRANCISCO —Back and forth they went, one-upping the other, two of the greatest to ever play each believing he could will his team to win. Stepback 3s, fadeaway jumpers, drives and dishes. Two overtimes.

LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry. At their finest.

And at the very end, James made a pair of free throws with 1.2 seconds left to cap his triple-double of 36 points, career-high 20 rebounds and 12 assists, outdueling Curry as the Los Angeles Lakers held off the Golden State Warriors 145-144 in the NBA on Saturday night.

“It’s something I’ll be able to talk about with my grandkids, talk about me being able to compete with one of the greatest players to ever play the game,” James said. “So hopefully I can be cool with my grandkids at that point, for sure.”

READ: Steph Curry praises Lakers’ LeBron James for longevity in NBA

Curry danced through the paint for a layup that sent the game to overtime. He knocked down a 3-pointer high over Anthony Davis in the second overtime for a lead.

LeBron scored the first points of a second extra session and found D’Angelo Russell the next time down for a 3.

“Every year we get to do this, the back-and-forth battles, all the Finals runs, to the playoffs last year, after the horn sounded tonight there was a little laugh of we can’t like imagine a scenario where a game like tonight happens, his year, what, 21, and my year 15,” Curry said. “All the other guys in the league who have been doing it 15-plus years, KD (Kevin Durant), CP (Chris Paul), it’s insane.

“You look forward to the battles, but you also appreciate the mutual respect of what it takes to keep doing what you’re doing at this level because only a few people know how hard it is. I’m happy to be in that group.”

Lakers coach Darvin Ham had to stay focused as he sat close-up to witness the greatness.

“Oh, man,” he exhaled afterward.

“Just trying to control myself first and foremost as a basketball fan,” he said. “They should be real happy in New York, this was a hell of a basketball game, a high-level basketball game. Two legends going back and forth, two great organizations. It was fun to be a part of. It’s just one of those wins where it showed our character. Our group is really coming together.”

Curry hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds left in the second OT and made another over Anthony Davis with 1:22 to go on the way to 46 points with a season-high nine 3s.

Russell connected from deep with 53 seconds left in the second OT and also hit another earlier in the period after also making two 3-pointers late in regulation on the way to 28 points.

WHAT A NIGHT FOR LEBRON JAMES.

👑 36 PTS
👑 20 REB (career high)
👑 12 AST
👑 Game-winning FTs in 20T

LeBron becomes the third @Lakers player (Elgin Baylor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) with 30p/20r/10a in a game. pic.twitter.com/YWhsgStsxH

— NBA (@NBA) January 28, 2024

LeBron scored 12 points in the two OT periods and recorded his third triple-double of the season and 110th of his career. Davis added 29 points and 13 rebounds.

Klay Thompson hit a tying 3 with 5.9 seconds remaining in the initial overtime and another late in the second extra period before fouling out with 1:14 left in Golden State’s first double-OT game since a 143-141 victory against Atlanta on Jan. 2, 2023.

Davis returned after an injury scare in the third. He made a pair of free throws with 29 seconds to go in regulation, then missed the first of two with 14.7 seconds left — giving Golden State the ball down 118-116. Curry drove through the paint for a tying layup with just under 6 seconds left to force overtime.

These star-studded teams played another thrilling game after the Lakers beat the Warriors in a six-game Western Conference semifinals last year.

Curry notched his second straight game with six or more 3s and third in five and also his fifth consecutive game with 25 or more points. It was his third 40-point performance this season and 65th of his career.

LeBron and Davis combined to shoot 14 for 19 in the first half and wound up 25 of 49 for the night and contributed to a 55-50 rebounding edge.

Steph Curry tonight…

🔥 46 PTS (season high)
🔥 9 3PM (season high)
🔥 Wild OT-forcing bucket
🔥 Go-ahead triple with 4.7 left in 20T

Left it ALL on the floor. pic.twitter.com/2bTrsjA8CE

— NBA (@NBA) January 28, 2024

The Warriors scored a season high points and their 23 3-pointers were a season best. Golden State used its 15th starting lineup — with Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga on the floor for the opening tip together for the first time this season.

Kuminga followed up his career-best 31-point performance Thursday with 22 points on a night Thompson missed his initial five 3-point attempts and was 1 for 10 before connecting on two 3s midway through the third. Kuminga has scored 20 or more points in a career-best six straight games.

James scored the final seven points of the first half as the Lakers led 68-63 at the break. They began 1 of 7 after the break before Russell’s 3 at the 8:05 mark.

Los Angeles hit 38 of 43 free throws, while the Warriors attempted only 16 — and they didn’t like that.

“I might comment on the free throws that they shot, but my mom is here right now and I want to be on my best behavior so I’m not going to comment on their 43 free throws to our 16,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “I’m not going to comment on Steph shooting three free throws in 43 minutes.”

This was another wild one for the Warriors after Golden State lost 134-133 to Sacramento on Thursday night in another 2023 playoff rematch. The Warriors eliminated the Kings in Game 7 of their first-round matchup.

Thompson played in his 758th career game to move past the late Nate Thurmond and into sole possession of fifth place on the Warriors’ all-time list.

Golden State has played in an NBA-leading 32 clutch games.

NEXT SCHEDULE

Lakers: At Houston on Monday night to start a back-to-back on the road with a game at Atlanta on Tuesday.

Warriors: Host the 76ers on Tuesday night.

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TAGS: Lebron James, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA