Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James put together a vintage performance in a 143-135 win against the Utah Jazz last night.
James scored 28 points on 8/17 shooting, along with seven rebounds and 10 assists in 33 minutes. Midway through the third quarter, James caught a pass from forward Rui Hachimura and soared in the air for one of his patented tomahawk dunks.
LeBron has been on fire lately. He’s averaging 25.5 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in his past five games while shooting 53.8% from the field. He’s lived at the free throw line, going 21/27 (77%) from the charity stripe over his last two games.
James, 41, has scored 25+ points in three of his past four games. He had 26 points against the Phoenix Suns and 29 points on 12/17 shooting in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
James, who missed the Lakers’ first 16 games due to a sciatica injury, is averaging 18.6 points per night this season. He’s shooting 46.9% from the field, and his 7.5 assists per game ranks second on the team.
He forms a formidable offensive trio with guards Luka Dončić and Austin Reeves. The trio are averaging a combined 81.6 points per game, which is more than 68% of the Lakers’ scoring. Dončić leads the NBA with 35.2 points a night, while Reaves is averaging a career-high 27.8.
James and the Lakers return to action Saturday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Lakers (19-7) have won three of their past four games and are third in the Western Conference.