Lebron James showed everyone on Monday night why he is still the best player in the league after the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Spurs 114-104 in San Antonio. James led the team in scoring with 33 points and also dished out 14 assists.
Anthony Davis chipped in with 19 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists. Davis also contributed two blocks and two steals, and his highly contested shots helped stifle the Spurs. With the Lakers behind in the second quarter, James was able to score 13 straight points to keep Los Angeles within striking distance. The Lakers were trailing by only two at halftime (56-54).
After the Spurs outscored the Lakers 32-26 in the third, the Lakers started the fourth quarter on fire with a 12-3 scoring run that included James hitting two three-pointers. He finished 4-7 from beyond the arc and like many aging superstars, he has definitely looked to improve this area of his game over the last couple of years.
“I just want to be able to not have any weaknesses, you know, and allow a defense to dictate what I do,” James told Spectrum Sports. “Because of the Spurs, in a lot of my early years [they have been] part of the reason why my jump shot is a lot better today. My first Finals appearance in ’07, they went under on everything and I didn’t shoot the ball, I wasn’t comfortable shooting the ball at that point in time in my career. So I give a lot of thanks to their scheme, a lot of thanks to a lot of other teams that I went against.”
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On the other hand, the Spurs have been an absolute mess and are tied for last place in the Western Conference. In the last ten games, San Antonio are a dismal 1-9, a run that included an eight-game losing streak that was the longest in the Gregg Popovich era. The Spurs made it a fight with their one-two punch duo DeMar Derozan and LaMarcus Aldridge scoring a combined 54 points (24 and 30, respectively). While San Antonio kept it close with offense, they could not get stops when they needed to. Although DeRozan and Aldridge can score at will, there is really no one on the Spurs’ roster who can slow down James. He is bigger, faster, and stronger even at nearly the age of 35 in his 17th season in the NBA.
“Every time I tell you guys that it’s the best I’ve felt, you guys kind of get a, ‘Alright,’ [look of bewilderment] and then I go out and I’m able to do what I do,” James added. “My spring [is good], my quick-twitch [muscles are good], my mind is sharp, my body is good. It might be the wine I’m drinking. I’ll keep drinking some more if I’m going to keep doing that,” James said.
