LeBron James finished with 32 points, D’Angelo Russell helped with 19, and the Los Angeles Lakers won against the Phoenix Suns 122-119 in the NBA In-Season Tournament opener for both franchises.
“It was fantastic to just finally get over the hump at the beginning of the campaign,” LeBron shared. “We’ve been trailing in most of our matches and haven’t been able to be the leading team. Tonight, it felt amazing to triumph.”
In-Season Tournament W. pic.twitter.com/sO4XXgzsJj
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 11, 2023
James had another phenomenal game, defying age in his 21st campaign, shooting 11 of 17 from the field, including 3 of 4 from the 3-point line. LeBron also grabbed 11 boards and gave 6 assists.
The squad held it down. Five guys in double digits.
LeBron: 32 pts, 11 reb, 6 ast
DLo: 19 pts, 9 ast, 3 reb
AD: 18 pts, 11 reb, 4 ast
Cam: 17 pts, 3 stl, 3 reb
Austin: 15 pts, 7 ast pic.twitter.com/nbgFjYG5u8— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 11, 2023
Kevin Durant with 38 points for Phoenix, and Bradley Beal notched 24, including 20 in the 1st 24 minutes of the match. However, Devin Booker missed his 4th match in a row because of an injury.
Los Angeles will face Trail Blazers on Sunday at home, while Phoenix will host Thunder on the same night.