In San Francisco, a real thriller took place in the NBA on Sunday night – with the better end for LeBron James and the Lakers. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers made a small statement
The Warriors and Lakers’ own expectations and reality have not matched up at all so far this season. On Sunday night, the two teams met in San Francisco. And it was a thrilling basketball game that went into overtime twice.
And it was also the duel between the two superstars. In the first overtime period, LeBron James had the chance to win at 130:130, but missed the last shot. There were therefore another five extra minutes in this duel. With just over five seconds remaining, Steph Curry hit one of his deep threes to make it 144:143 and celebrated what was supposed to be the game-winner. But the visitors still had one attack left – and that was enough for the “King” to make two free throws. James kept his cool from the line twice and stole the show from Curry and his dubs.
“I’ll tell my grandchildren that I played against one of the best players of all time,” said James after the duel with Curry. Both had an outstanding statline after the game. The best three-point shooter in history scored a whopping 46 points and handed out seven assists. James recorded a triple double with 36 points, 20 rebounds and twelve assists. It was an important win for the Lakers and a painful one for the Warriors, who continue to lose sight of the play-off places.
Clippers win in Boston – Spurs surprise
Meanwhile, the Clippers provided a small exclamation mark. LA claimed a 115:96 victory in Boston. The Celtics are currently the best team in the NBA with 35 wins and have now lost only their second game at home this season. The visitors’ top scorer was Kawhi Leonard with 26 points. Daniel Theis also had a strong game, with the German center contributing 18 points from the bench and grabbing seven rebounds.
The San Antonio Spurs pulled off a surprising victory. The Texans won 113:112 against Minnesota, currently the second-best team in the East. Gregg Popovich’s team was led by Devin Vassell (25 points) and top rookie Victor Wembanyama (23). A juicy 32 points from Anthony Edwards were not enough for the Timberwolves in the end.
