They are special games. The season has just begun, and last night was a game in the NBA Cup—just enough in Phoenix—but beyond that, it was LeBron James versus Kevin Durant.
Two of the best players in the history of basketball come face to face, and since they are already two seasoned veterans, it’s time to enjoy Three Kings Night like the kids they are. Unlike other players who feel like time has passed and are no longer the same person, for these two MVPs, the clock stopped on the day they became NBA superstars. What we saw last night was a new test in which the King finally smiled.
This is the whole story. LeBron scored 32 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists, beating Durant’s 38 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. This was a wonderful game. The Lakers came back in the last quarter and narrowly won 119-122. It was a great matchup of the night.
In addition to having a great battle with Durant, LeBron also emphasized the importance of this game with his serve to break a three-game losing streak. “It feels good to be able to overcome the early-season slump. We were behind in a lot of games and couldn’t come back. Today we did it and it feels good,” he explained.
Another good news for Los Angeles is that Anthony Davis will be able to play. The big man contributed a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while the unexpected Cam Reddish added 17 points. D’Angelo Russell also had an outstanding performance, scoring 19 points and nine assists.
There’s Beal…but no Booker
The Suns’ big three sounds (sounds) good, but we’re still waiting to see it all play out on the hardwood. Bradley Beal has played, but now it’s Devin Booker who hasn’t dressed for his fourth straight game…and while we wait, at least we were able to verify last night that the former Wizards player is actually good; So much so that he scored 24 points in 32 minutes. The reality is there’s still a lot to know about whether Arizona will be as dire as the summer imagined.
(Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)