LeBron James scores 40 in Lakers’ win over Nets

It looked like the Los Angeles Lakers were going to cruise to a win in Brooklyn, building a 19-point lead going into the second quarter. But the Nets closed the gap, setting the stage for a vintage LeBron James performance.

The King had 40 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Anthony Davis chipped in with 24 points and 4 rebounds as the Lakers hung on for a 116-104 road win over the Nets.

After Brooklyn went on a torrid run to cut a 26-point deficit down to eight, it was James who put the team on his back to seal the victory. The 39-year-old scored 17 points in the fourth quarter, and was on fire from beyond the arc, tying his career-high of 9 makes on his 10 attempts to give L.A. a much-needed victory.

“I’m not one of those guys who wants to shoot 12, 13, 14, or 15 3s a game,” James said following the win. “But, I want to be respected, and teams have to play me from the outside.”

The Lakers stormed out of the gate and held a 30-11 lead after one quarter. The Nets continued to chip away until they got within single digits before James helped L.A. close things out.

It was a vintage performance for The King, who is playing in his 21st season. The Brooklyn crowd gave James a standing ovation when he exited the game for good in the fourth quarter.

James became just the 12th player in NBA history to make nine threes in a contest while shooting 90% or better from the 3-point line. He knows he might not have too many nights like this left in him as his illustrious career is winding down.

“So I’m not going to play another 21 years, that’s for damn sure,” James said when asked about his career. “But not very long. I don’t know what or when that door will close as far as when I retire, but I don’t have much time left.”

The Lakers got some good news on the injury front as well. Guard Gabe Vincent returned to the lineup to give head coach Darvin Ham some more depth. Vincent — who has only played in five games so far this season due to injury — had 2 points, a rebound, and an assist in 14 minutes of action.

With the win, L.A. improves to 42-33 with just seven games left in the regular season. The Lakers currently sit in ninth in the western conference, a game-and-a-half up on the 10th-seeded Golden State Warriors.

Although it’s all but certain that L.A. will be a part of the NBA Play-In Tournament, the Lakers could still climb the standings and try to get up to the No. 7 seed, which would give the franchise a better chance of getting into the first round of the NBA playoffs.

L.A. sits a game-and-a-half behind the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns for the eighth seed in the west.

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