Without the injured LeBron James, the ups and downs of the Los Angeles Lakers continued. Still, there was some good news for the superstar.
The Lakers conceded an 87-105 defeat at the Philadelphia 76ers and continue to rank in the middle of the league with now 24 wins and 25 losses. James was forced to miss the game with a knee injury.
In James’ absence, Anthony Davis excelled with 31 points and twelve rebounds in the Lakers’ ranks, Russell Westbrook also contributed 20 points. However, this was not enough to win the game. The best player on the 76ers’ side was centre Joel Embiid with 26 points.
There was still good news for James: The 37-year-old was once again called up for the All-Star Game and thus reached a special mark. With now 18 nominations for the traditional selection game between the Western and Eastern Conference, the four-time NBA champion drew level with the legend Kobe Bryant, who passed away two years ago. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar continues to sit atop the list with 19 nominations.
James will also captain the West side, which includes Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, based on the most fan votes. His counterpart in the team from the East is superstar Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets. The All-Star Game will take place on 20 February in Cleveland, with no German professionals taking part.
Warriors continue to win
The Golden State Warriors, meanwhile, underlined their role as title contenders. Led by superstar Stephen Curry, the team from San Francisco won against the Minnesota Timbervolves with 124-115. Curry scored 29 points and also delivered eight rebounds and six assists. Centre Karl-Anthony Towns was even stronger for the Timberwolves. But even his double-double with 31 points and twelve rebounds could not prevent the defeat.
