LOS ANGELES – Luka Doncic and LeBron James were brought together for nights like this. The two Los Angeles Lakers superstars each topped 30 points in a game for the first time this season.
Doncic had 34 points, hit 17 of 20 free throws, and had six rebounds and eight assists. James had 31 points on 12 of 18 shooting to go with nine rebounds and six assists.
The Lakers rallied for a 128-121 win over the undersized Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.
It marked the third time overall that Doncic and James both scored 30 or more points in the same game, their 42nd together. It happened twice in March, a month after Doncic joined the Lakers in a blockbuster trade from Dallas.
“Just playing in rhythm. We’re trying to find ways we can be productive,” said James, the NBA’s oldest active player who turned 41 on Tuesday. “Luka did a great job getting to the free-throw line. I tried to sprinkle in a little bit here, a little bit there. I just tried to be consistent and super efficient with my game. We worked well together.”
Doncic’s 17 made free throws were one of his career highs, while his 20 attempts were a season high. As a team, the Grizzlies were 15 of 23 from the line.
“I’m just trying to go downhill a lot more than normal for me,” Doncic said. “But for him, he just plays his game, attacks what he sees, is efficient and helps us win the games.”
The Lakers improved to 11-0 in clutch time this season. The game was tied twice in the fourth, as the teams traded a one-point lead until the final 5 1/2 minutes. James had 10 points in the period and Doncic had six. Together they provided five assists and three rebounds.
“He was phenomenal,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said of James. “There were just a few stretches where they made runs and the reaction from him, it felt like almost every time we needed a bucket, he just kind of wanted it.”
Doncic hit James at one point with a 22-yard outlet pass.
“One of the best quarterbacks and I’m a pretty good receiver in that regard,” James said. “My job is to prevent the defense from breaking the ball or stealing the ball. He put it on time and on target for me.”
Doncic and James got a lot of help from their teammates. Jake LaRavia had 21 points and nine rebounds and Marcus Smart had 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Jaxson Hayes added 12 points off the bench.
“If they do that, it actually takes the pressure and the burden off of LeBron and Luka,” Redick said.
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