The Los Angeles Lakers returned to the hardwood last night for the second leg of a back-to-back, welcoming Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks to Crypto.com Arena.
The previous night, Los Angeles rallied without the presence of Anthony Davis and managed a victory over Portland. And with their All-Star big man back in the lineup against Atlanta, the Lakers dominated the Hawks on both sides of the ball on their way to a 119-102 victory.
As if it were ever a question, the team was propelled by a record-setting performance from LeBron James.
LeBron James sets the NBA record for career 30-point games
As the clock passed the six-minute mark of the fourth quarter, James backed down Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu inside the three-point line. The 40-year-old turned over his right shoulder and buried a fadeaway jumper from the left wing as he drifted back towards the Hawks’ bench.
The shot gave LeBron 30 points for the 563rd time in his career, a feat for which he stands alone. With the turnaround jumper, James surpassed Michael Jordan for the most 30-point performances in NBA history.
“It’s very humbling,” James told reporters after the game. “Anytime I’m mentioned with any of the greats, and arguably the greatest ever to play the game, super cool. It’s someone I idolized in my childhood, and I wear 23 because of him. So to know that I can sit here and be in the room or in the conversation or whatever it is, when you mention MJ, it’s just super-duper dope for me, being a kid from where I’m from.”
Obviously, it took James much longer to set the record than it did Jordan back in 2003. MJ set the bar in just 1,072 games while it took LeBron 1,523 outings to set the new mark.
Davis, born and raised in Chicago, teased James after the game when asked about his teammate setting the record:
“It bothers me. It took him seven more seasons,” Davis joked, laughing with James and reporters in the locker room. “But that’s obviously a hell of an accomplishment. I think he’s probably No. 1 f—ing everything at this point.”
James checked out of the contest shortly after setting the record, finishing with 30 points (13-20 FG, 2-5 3PT) and eight assists. After the game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick commended the star for his ability to perform at such a high level at this stage in his career, telling reporters that the record is “just another thing that he’s done in his career and certainly speaks to his greatness and longevity.”
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The Lakers secured their seventh win in their last nine games
The Lakers were firing on all cylinders. The team shot 49% from the field (43-88), 43% from downtown (13-30), and 80% from the line (20-25). Young led the charge for the Hawks, tallying 33 points and nine assists. However, the Lakers did a great job of limiting the damage, holding Atlanta – a top-five offense in the league – to 41% shooting from the floor (41-100) and just 18% from deep (6-34).
Davis was Atlanta’s worst nightmare on the defensive end, accompanying his 18 points with 19 rebounds, three steals, and three blocks. His tenacity on the boards heavily swayed the rebound battle in his team’s favor (56-39) while his blocks and steals directly resulted in points on the other end.
Among other key contributors, Austin Reaves continued to develop as a playmaker with 20 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Rui Hachimura added 13 points and eight boards, while rookie Dalton Knecht threw in another 13 points with three triples. Los Angeles is undefeated in their first two games of 2025 and has won seven of their last nine. With a record of 20-14, they now stand at fourth in the Western Conference.
The Lakers will get a chance to confirm their status atop the West when they travel to Houston to take on the No. 3 seeded Rockets tomorrow night.
