- James once again looked like an ageless wonder in his 1,485th career game
- The Lakers (42-33) have a real chance to rise to the seventh or eighth seed
- DailyMail.com provides the latest international sports news
LeBron James will only hint at how long he expects to continue playing in the NBA following his 40-point display against the Brooklyn Nets, as he admitted he is on the “other side of the hill” and doesn't have much time left in the league.
Speaking to reporters after making his highest number of three-pointers (9) in a game since he was drafted 21 years ago on Sunday, James remained tight-lipped about when the right time would be to say goodbye to the association he has been a part of since 2003.
“Not long. I won't play for another 21 years, that's for sure,” he said after hitting all but one shot from behind the arc. “I don't know when this door will close, but I don't have much time left.”
James once again looked like a perpetual wonder, playing in his 1,485th career game and matching his season-high to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 116-104 win over the Nets on Easter Sunday.
James had the crowd at Barclays Center on its feet as he put the finishing touches on a three-point shooting display in the fourth quarter. He reached 40 points for the third time this season, the last of which was last March 16, in a home loss to Golden State.
The Lakers have won five of six since then, and the victory moves them to a season-high nine games above .500 with seven games remaining in the regular season. Los Angeles remained in ninth place in the Western Conference, but the Lakers were able to catch either the eighth-place Sacramento Kings or the seventh-place Phoenix Suns in the West, knocking them out of a No. 9 versus No. 10 single-elimination matchup.
If James has another game like this in the postseason, almost anything is possible for the NBA's scoring leader who still impresses at 39 years old.
The 20-time All Star finished 13-for-17 overall as the Lakers played Game 4 of a six-game road trip and rebounded from a loss Friday night at Indiana that ended their five-game winning streak.
“I spent a lot of time working on my craft,” James said.
Anthony Davis added 24 points and 14 rebounds, and Rui Hachimura added 20 points and 10 rebounds in a game in which the Lakers led by 20 points in the first quarter and controlled it throughout the match. Brooklyn held its deficit to double digits only once in the second half.
Cam Thomas led the Nets with 30 points, trying to rally them after their disappointing start.
“But I can’t do anything when someone goes 9-for-10 from 3,” Thomas said. He made all threes, so it was tough, but I feel like we played well from second to fourth. The first quarter was very difficult for us, as we started so slow.
The Lakers scored 114 points out of 116 points from the start.
James also made nine 3-pointers on Jan. 24, 2023, against the Clippers, shooting 9 for 14. His 90 percent accuracy was the second-best of his career in games in which he made at least five 3-pointers, according to Elias. Sports office. He was 5-for-5 against Oklahoma City on December 23 of this season.
Next up for the Lakers: Toronto Raptors on Easter Sunday.
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