The Lakers faced off against the Hawks at home in a back-to-back game, with Davis returning to the lineup. The Lakers' starting lineup was Reeves, Christie, Hachimura, James, and Davis; while the Hawks started with Trae Young, Daniels, Jalen Johnson, Lissache, and Capela.
In the first quarter, both teams exchanged points, with the score tied at 6-6. After that, the Hawks scored 5 consecutive points. However, Davis began to explode, making two free throws for a foul, scoring under the basket, assisting Hachimura with a dunk, and defensively blocking shots in the paint, causing the Hawks to go scoreless for a period, leading to a timeout with the score at 16-13. After the timeout, the Lakers extended their lead to 7 points. The Hawks brought back Trae Young, who immediately revitalized the team's offense, with the Hawks scoring 7 points to stop the bleeding. Okongwu made a layup to enter the timeout. After the timeout, James and Davis connected, Trae Young hit a long three-pointer, and Jalen Johnson completed a fast break with a 2+1, ending the first quarter with the Lakers leading 31-28 by 3 points.
In the second quarter, during the rotation phase, Trae Young and James led their respective teams, with both sides engaged in an offensive battle and the scores rising alternately. James assisted Hayes with an alley-oop, and Trae Young responded by scoring and celebrating with a technical foul. The referees began awarding free throws to the Lakers, with Davis replacing James, and Reeves assisting Knocket to make another three-pointer. However, the Hawks remained close, with Davis scoring 2+1 on a putback to enter the timeout. After the timeout, the Hawks also responded with a 2+1, but were unable to make outside shots, while Davis continued to score, resulting in a tough tug-of-war between the two teams. After Capela's putback, he followed with a fast break dunk, bringing the Hawks within 3 points, before Knocket's three-pointer stopped the opponents. After the Hawks hit a three-pointer, the Lakers responded with a 7-0 run to take a double-digit lead, ending the half with a score of 65-57.
In the third quarter, after the break, Reeves started with a three-pointer, followed by Trae Young scoring 5 points to narrow the gap. Davis blocked a shot in a one-on-two situation, with LeBron and Trae Young trading three-pointers. Trae Young drew a three-point foul and made all three free throws, then assisted his teammate with a 2+1, keeping the Hawks in the game. Davis drew a foul on Capela to enter the timeout. After the timeout, the Lakers' offensive efficiency dropped, with the Hawks closing the gap to 5 points, before Reeves made free throws to stop the bleeding. After Trae Young scored 3 more points, the Hawks made two offensive turnovers, with the Lakers countering with a three-pointer to extend their lead to 8 points and force a timeout. After the timeout, LeBron returned, and the third quarter ended with the Lakers leading 96-86 by 10 points.
In the early stages of the fourth quarter, James returned to lead the team, with the Lakers maintaining their lead as Trae Young struggled to keep up. LeBron drove for a reverse layup to enter the timeout. After the timeout, James suddenly erupted, hitting a three-pointer followed by two back-to-back fadeaway mid-range jumpers, scoring 7 points in a row to force another timeout. After the timeout, Hachimura and Reeves also made three-pointers, effectively sealing the game, allowing James to rest early.
Ultimately, the Lakers defeated the Hawks 119-102, securing a winning streak. Let's take a look at the specific performances of the players!
Davis returned from injury and had a huge impact on both ends of the court, scoring 18 points, grabbing 19 rebounds, and contributing 4 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks in 37 minutes of play.
As a 40-year-old veteran, James shot 6 out of 8 in back-to-back games, including 0 out of 1 from beyond the arc and 2 out of 2 from the free throw line, scoring 14 points and 5 assists.
In the third quarter, LeBron scored 7 points and 2 assists, helping the team take a double-digit lead. In the fourth quarter, he scored 9 points in a row, forcing two timeouts from the Hawks, and finished the game early.
In total, James played 30 minutes, shooting 13 out of 20, including 2 out of 5 from three-point range and 2 out of 2 from the free throw line, scoring 30 points, 3 rebounds, and 8 assists.
With this performance, James has now recorded at least 30 points in 563 games, surpassing Michael Jordan to become the sole holder of the NBA record.
Trae Young struggled in the first half, shooting 3 out of 9, including 1 out of 2 from three-point range and 2 out of 2 from the free throw line, scoring 9 points and 6 assists.
In the third quarter, he exploded for 14 points. In the fourth quarter, Trae Young continued to fight, but with his teammates underperforming, he was unable to turn the tide.
In the entire game, Trae Young played 36 minutes, shooting 10 out of 22, including 3 out of 9 from three-point range and 10 out of 12 from the free throw line, scoring an empty 33 points, 9 assists, and 1 steal.