LeBron James needed a comeback Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers, but when you're conquering Father Time like he is, that's no big deal.
In the biggest comeback of his 21-season career, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar led a 21-point comeback in the fourth quarter and stunned his team's crosstown rivals in a thrilling 116-112 victory. He achieved victory. James scored 19 points in the fourth quarter, including five 3-pointers and four assists.
He personally outscored the Clippers 19-16. Add in those assists and it was a huge hit.
The Clippers, playing without All-Star Paul George, took a 98-77 lead in the fourth inning to take the lead, but then regressed badly on defense. The team gave up easy matchups with James, soft-switched him multiple times and didn't seem to mind being punished at all.
Look at how many times Norman Powell and James Harden, who aren't defensive heavyweights, guard James in this video.
With 11:45 left in the fourth quarter, the Lakers led 98-77.
LeBron then took over, scoring 19 points in the quarter, including 5 triples, and led the Lakers until the end! ️
Watch the final moments of Takeover and Lakers comeback W 🍿 pic.twitter.com/rFS7WKroZZ
— NBA (@NBA) February 29, 2024
James continued to make shots and the Clippers slowed down their offense enough to open the door for the Lakers. or As James told ESPN:
“Keep executing. The game is never over until we get double zero. We just kept fighting, making defensive stops and making some shots.”
The Clippers unveiled a new look on Monday, but by Wednesday it was a thing of the past. The team still has an 11-7 record since James joined the Lakers, but they have now lost three straight to him, all come-from-behind losses. They increased their lead by 19 points in November and by nine points in January.
That's not exactly how to end your tenure as co-tenant of Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers and Clippers will not play again for the remainder of the regular season. If they can't meet in the postseason, Wednesday will be the Clippers' last “home” game against the Lakers at the arena before moving to the new Intuit Dome next season.
