New York— LeBron James just hinted at his NBA career length. James stated, “Not very long, I'm not going to play another 21 years, that's for damn sure,” after an incredible shooting night, hitting 9 for 10 behind the arc to tie his career high for 3-pointers. “I don’t know when that door will close, but I have little time.”
On Sunday night, James played his 1,485th career game and equaled a season high with 40 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 116-104 win over the Brooklyn Nets. James finished his fourth-quarter 3-point shooting with the sellout crowd at Barclays Center standing. He scored 40 points for the third time this season on March 16 in a home defeat to Golden State.
After winning five of six since then, the Lakers are nine games over.500 with seven games left in the season. The Lakers were ninth in the Western Conference, but they might catch the Sacramento Kings for eighth or the Phoenix Suns for seventh to avoid the single-elimination No. 9 vs. No. 10 play-in game.
James, the NBA's career scoring leader at 39, can do anything in the playoffs with another game like this. The 20-time All Star went 13 for 17 as the Lakers played the fourth game of a six-game road trip after losing in Indiana Friday night, ending their five-game winning streak.
“I put in a lot of time working on my craft,” James remarked. Anthony Davis scored 24 points and 14 rebounds, and Rui Hachimura had 20 points and 10 rebounds as the Lakers led by 20 in the first quarter and controlled the game. Brooklyn got within double digits once in the second half.
Cam Thomas led the Nets with 30 points to rally after a poor start. “But can't do nothing when someone hits 9 for 10 from 3,” Thomas added. “He made every 3 he put up, so it's tough, but we played well second through fourth. We started slow, so the first quarter was challenging.
The Lakers' starters scored 114 of 116 points. James shot 9/14 from 3-point range against the Clippers on Jan. 24, 2023. Elias Sports Bureau: His 90% accuracy in games with at least five 3-pointers was second-best in his career. He went 5 for 5 against Oklahoma City on Dec. 23.
Brooklyn was 0 for 8 from the field when interim coach Kevin Ollie called his first timeout just over 4 minutes into the first quarter after James grabbed a defensive rebound and hit Davis with a long pass for a breakaway dunk. Nic Claxton broke the ice after a 0-for-11 start by banking in a 10-footer.
The margin increased to 24-4 with 4 ½ minutes left in the first quarter, causing the Barclays Center audience to quiet down as the Nets laid the Easter egg. The Lakers led 31-10 after one quarter as Brooklyn shot 4-for-21 and was outrebounded 21-11.
James singlehandedly held off the Nets in the third and fourth quarters with 3s, the eighth of which came as he fell left from the corner to give the Lakers a 108-91 lead. James was alone against Claxton on the perimeter on the next possession and dribbled between his knees before sinking his tenth 3 to make it 111-93.
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