LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anthony Davis scored 30 points and 13 rebounds, LeBron James scored 10 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter and the Los Angeles Lakers held on in the final minutes. 100-95 win over Phoenix. The Suns were shorthanded Thursday night.
James completed the game-winning layup with 1:11 left in the game. The Lakers entered the fourth quarter trailing by 12 points and scored their first victory of the new season in James’ first home game in his 21st NBA campaign. .
Kevin Durant had 39 points and 11 rebounds for the Suns, who played without stars Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. The Suns led 84-72 entering the fourth quarter, but made 13 of their next 14 shots and committed 10 turnovers in the next 10 minutes.
With 1:28 left in the game, Durant scored on two consecutive possessions to tie the game at 91, and in the process surpassed Hakeem Olajuwon for 12th place on the NBA’s career scoring list.
But James responded with consecutive layups in response to Durant’s missed three-pointer, and Austin Reeves and Davis made free throws in the final seconds.
Durant and James likely haven’t faced off on an NBA court since Christmas 2018. Injuries, load management and health and safety protocols have kept them out of the 13-game schedule between James’ Lakers and Durant’s Warriors, Nets and Suns.
Eric Gordon scored 15 points in Suns head coach Frank Vogel’s first return against the Lakers, who fired him 18 months ago after three seasons and an N.B.A. champion.
James and the Lakers acknowledged plans to limit playing time this season, but that plan was not carried out, and James stayed on the court throughout the fourth quarter to work on this win.
James is entering his third NBA slump, and the Lakers have decided to limit his minutes to optimize his health, but the Los Angeles Lakers have struggled every time James comes off the court in the first half.
The Lakers honored Vogel with a tribute video during the first timeout. Three years ago this month, Vogel led the Lakers to the franchise’s 17th championship in the Florida bubble, but 18 months later, the Lakers were unable to make the playoffs as his injury-riddled team missed the playoffs. The team fired him.
Booker scored 28 points against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday but sprained his foot late in the game and missed the game with soreness in his left foot. Beal still hasn’t made his Suns debut due to lower back tightness.
Los Angeles played without Jared Vanderbilt, who has heel bursitis. When healthy, Vanderbilt appears likely to replace Taurean Prince in the Lakers’ starting lineup. Prince was held scoreless in 18 minutes.
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Suns: Host Utah State on Saturday.
Lakers: At Sacramento on Sunday.
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