LeBron James and the LA Lakers lost 111-97 to the revamped Golden State Warriors on Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. James renewed his rivalry with Warriors superstar Steph Curry after the two teamed up to lead Team USA to an Olympic gold. The four-time MVP had an underwhelming performance against the Dubs.
Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 24 points, 12 rebounds and two assists as the Warriors defense slowed down “King James.” The NBA’s career-scoring leader finished with six points on 3-for-9 shooting. He added two rebounds, four assists and three turnovers in a forgettable night in Sin City.
Here are James’ stats against the Golden State Warriors:
“King James” did his damage early with his playmaking in the Lakers’ quick start. He set up Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves to help LA take a 10-3 lead to open the game. James’ first two points came off a dunk after a nifty move in the low block against Jonathan Kuminga.
James didn’t need to put up points in the first frame after Anthony Davis’ 11-point eruption. For the most part, he played decoy and ran his team’s offense.
The LA Lakers’ franchise cornerstone continued to help guide the team’s offense in the second quarter. Reaves, Hachimura and Davis took charge of the scoring, combining for 35 points. James was content to let the offense flow through him. James and Co., however, trailed the Warriors 51-58 after two quarters.
Lakers coach JJ Redick started LeBron James in the third quarter but kept him on the court for only five minutes. James went 0-for-3 in the period before rookie Dalton Knecht took him out for good.
What was LeBron James’ impact against the Warriors?
LeBron James hardly looked for his shots against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. He was content to set up his teammates. James took just nine shots, while Anthony Davis and Rui Hachimura had 14 apiece.
James’ playmaking was superb to start the game but committed three turnovers for the night. The Warriors’ defense did a good job on the four-time champ as the game wore on.
LeBron James looked his usual self against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday and against the Milwaukee Bucks two nights later. Unfortunately for Lakers fans, he couldn’t have the same impact versus his old rivals, the Warriors.
