On January 18, Beijing time, the NBA regular season saw the Lakers narrowly defeat the Nets 102-101 at home. The 40-year-old LeBron James had an impressive game, shooting 12 of 17 from the field and 4 of 6 from three-point range, finishing with 29 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal. In the final quarter, he scored 10 points and grabbed the winning rebound. James has now scored a total of 1725 points against the Nets in his career, surpassing Michael Jordan to become the first in NBA history.
Due to plantar fasciitis, Anthony Davis was unable to play, leaving James to lead the team. After focusing on organizing the offense for over six minutes, James took a break. When the Lakers were hit with a 7-0 run by the Nets, he returned to the court and stopped the bleeding with a three-pointer, drawing fouls and scoring free throws, as well as nailing a buzzer-beating three-pointer. The 40-year-old James scored seven consecutive points to help the Lakers take the lead.
In the second quarter, James continued to score in the paint before taking a breather on the bench, panting heavily. During his rest, Reaves took charge and led the Lakers to an advantage. With 3 minutes and 54 seconds left in the half, James returned to the court, and Hachimura sank a three-pointer. Reaves attacked the basket repeatedly, leading the Lakers on a 10-2 run to a 11-point lead. However, the Lakers then went cold collectively, allowing the Nets to go on a 5-0 run. At halftime, the Lakers led 51-45.
In the first half, James played 15 minutes, shooting 5 of 7 from the field and 2 of 2 from three-point range, scoring 13 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal, but also committing 3 turnovers.
In the third quarter, the Lakers were outscored 3-11 by the Nets, falling behind. James then scored four straight points to halt the decline. The two teams engaged in a tight battle, with James losing focus while dribbling and being stripped by Russell, resulting in a foul. Despite this, James aggressively scored in the paint, only to be hit in the head and fall to the ground in pain without a foul call. At the end of the third quarter, the Lakers led 72-68, with James contributing 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist in that period.
In the fourth quarter, the Lakers and Nets engaged in a fierce offensive battle. James hit mid-range jumpers and two three-pointers from outside, while Reaves matched Russell's three-pointers. James rested for 6 minutes and 15 seconds, during which Reaves scored 10 points in a row to extend the Lakers' lead. James returned with 4 minutes and 46 seconds left, and on a fast break, he completed an alley-oop dunk. The Lakers' offense stalled, but Russell's crucial assist helped the Nets close the gap to one point. Russell missed a potential game-winning shot, and James grabbed the decisive rebound, securing the Lakers' narrow victory.
