The Los Angeles Lakers hope to have LeBron James again within the lineup as they search a second win over the Atlanta Hawks in eight days when the golf equipment meet in in Southern California on Friday evening.
James celebrated his thirty eighth birthday on Dec. 30 in Atlanta with a season-high 47 factors in a 130-121 Lakers win.
Not happy, the 18-time All-Star had his second-biggest scoring evening of the 12 months, a 43-pointer, in a 121-115 win at Charlotte three nights later.
In the method, he turned the primary 38-year-old since Michael Jordan to attain 40 or extra in consecutive video games.
James’ bid for a 40-plus hat trick was placed on maintain by what Lakers coach Darvin Ham labeled a “common cold” Wednesday, however that did not forestall Los Angeles from tying a season excessive with its third straight win, 112-109 over the visiting Miami Heat.
Dennis Schroder got here up huge in James’ absence, placing up 32 factors. Supporting-cast members Thomas Bryant, Austin Reaves and Wenyen Gabriel mixed for 42 factors, prompting Ham to counsel afterward that typically having to go with out James and Anthony Davis may be helpful.
“I just think different guys are settling into their roles, getting more comfortable with more reps, more minutes,” he noticed. “When we do get our big dogs back, it just makes us that much stronger, that much deeper, because now guys have confidence. They have the ultimate confidence because they’ve gotten the reps.”
Bryant additionally had a giant evening within the win at Atlanta when he was the sport’s main rebounder with 17 to enhance 19 factors in James’ shadow.
The Hawks countered with a balanced assault that featured six gamers in double figures, led by Trae Young with 29.
Atlanta has since gone on the street, and simply might be 2-0 on a Western swing if not for a game-tying 3-pointer by Klay Thompson — which the NBA later stated ought to have been waved off for touring — on the finish of the primary additional session of Golden State’s 143-141 double-overtime win Monday. Again, six Hawks reached double figures in factors, all with a minimum of 16.
Five went for 17 or extra two nights later when the Hawks lastly pulled out an in depth one, successful 120-117 at Sacramento. John Collins had his second consecutive double-double with 22 factors and 12 rebounds following a 25-point, 13-point evening in San Francisco.
Dejounte Murray, whose late steal secured the win at Sacramento to finish a four-game shedding streak, insisted afterward that the Hawks are “going in the right direction.”
“It’s been a long week,” he famous. “This is the NBA. It’s a long season. You get to redeem yourself.”
The Hawks have performed precisely that every of the final two seasons towards the Lakers, shedding the primary recreation towards Los Angeles earlier than successful the second matchup.
Atlanta stays with out beginning heart Clint Capela, out with a calf harm. Onyeka Okongwu has performed admirably in his place, averaging 14.8 factors and 10 rebounds in his final 4 begins.
