The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
James’ jumper lifts Lakers past Celtics
LeBron James scored 29 points and put the Lakers ahead on a fallaway jumper with 30 seconds to play, and Los Angeles split its season series with the Celtics with a 114-112 victory.
LOS ANGELES » Although LeBron James is still relatively new to the Lakers’ rivalry with the Celtics, he relishes the chance to participate in the history and passion behind this series.
When James had the chance Feb. 23 to make another significant mark in this chapter of NBA history, he stepped back and did it with pleasure.
James scored 29 points and put the Lakers ahead on a fallaway jumper with 30 seconds to play, and Los Angeles split its season series with Boston in a 114-112 victory.
James also had nine assists and eight rebounds in another superb all-around game. He missed a tying free throw moments before he coolly nailed the turnaround shot over Jayson Tatum to put the Lakers ahead to stay in their fifth straight win overall.
“I had been setting him up all night with the backdown to the drop step to the baseline,” James said. “I figured he would sit on it, thinking I would try it again, so I just went to my back-down, gave a little Dream Shake to the baseline and was able to open up the middle and get my fadeaway.”
When Tatum was called for an offensive foul in the final second, the Lakers could celebrate another memorable meeting between two clubs with 33 NBA titles between them.
James put up a tripledouble when the Lakers won in Boston last season in his first taste of the rivalry, but LA had lost his ensuing two meetings with the Celtics.
“It’s just special to be part of this rivalry,” James said. “We understand that this has been going on since the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, all the way through. So to be a part of a rivalry, to be a part of a historical two-franchise group, this is special . ... (We love) to represent this rivalry with the utmost respect and play this game the right way, as all the former players have done in the past.”
James was thinking of Celtics great Bill Russell, who watched the game at courtside while wearing Kobe Bryant’s jersey. He was also thinking of Tatum, who matched his career high with 41 points while wearing a purple wristband in memory of Bryant, a mentor and teacher to the Celtics star.
“That’s a great atmosphere,” said Boston’s Jaylen
Brown, who scored 20 points. “It don’t get too much better than that. To be honest, I had a great time. Even though we lost, it was fun being out there competing at the highest level, and it makes you thirsty for the postseason.”
Anthony Davis had 32 points and 13 rebounds for the Lakers, who took a 32-point blowout loss in Boston last month.