LeBron James’ first set of back-to-back games since turning 40 will conclude Friday when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Atlanta Hawks.
If Thursday’s 114-106 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers was any indication, James is set to handle the challenge just fine. He scored 38 points and tied Michael Jordan for most 30-point games in NBA history with 562.
Adding to James’ challenge was that fellow star Anthony Davis was out with a sprained left ankle. Davis, who tweaked the ankle on Christmas Day in a game against the Golden State Warriors, could be back as soon as Friday.
James was aggressive from the outset, even while starting the first of two games in two days.
“You have a guy out who is averaging 25-plus points, with rebounds and blocks, A.D. is our No. 1, No. 2 option so when he’s out, you have to go step up your game, including myself,” James said. “I think everybody pitched in on that end.”
James’ 10 attempts from 3-point range were his third most this season. He made a season-best seven of them.
“I like when he’s a willing 3-point shooter,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said. “… We want him aggressive (and) shot ready from three as much as we want him to get downhill and put pressure on the rim.”
Also stepping into the Davis void was Max Christie, who scored a career-high 28 points and made 5 of his 9 attempts from distance. Austin Reaves continues to adjust to his expanded offensive role, collecting 11 assists with 15 points.
Christie will be in the spotlight once again Friday, but more for his effective play on defense while helping to guard the Hawks’ Trae Young. At 22.3 points per game, Young’s scoring average is the lowest it has been since his rookie season in 2018-19, but he has exceeded that average in six of his past seven games.
Young is coming off a 30-point performance Wednesday in a 139-120 road loss to the Denver Nuggets. De’Andre Hunter added 20 points off the bench as Atlanta saw its four-game winning streak come to an end while going 16 of 46 (34.8 percent) from 3-point range.
The Hawks were without Bogdan Bogdanovic (leg contusion) and Jalen Johnson (shoulder soreness). The injuries left a pair of double-digit scorers on the sideline, but it was with transition defense where Atlanta missed Johnson.
“You’re always going to have players out,” Hawks head coach Quin Snyder said, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Obviously, Jalen’s a good player but really, if we would have had urgency in (defensive) transition, anyone can do that. That was where we weren’t urgent out of the gate.”
Friday’s game is Atlanta’s third of a six-game road trip. It is a rematch of the Los Angeles’ 134-132 overtime victory at Atlanta on Dec. 6 when Young had 31 points with 20 assists, his second most in a game this season. James had a triple-double in the victory, collecting 39 points with 11 assists and 10 rebounds.
