San Francisco — LeBron James was walking through the visiting locker room on Christmas afternoon and wondered if there was music playing inside Chase Center.
James broke his routine to dance and smile when a DJ bumped into early 2000s Ludacris near the hoop where the Lakers were warming up.
Like every player in the league before or after him, James is aware of the stage. And even after doing it 18 times in 21 seasons, being spotted on the court in front of everyone on Christmas night hit him like a triple espresso.
Will he be facing Stephen Curry and the Warriors in the big game? It’s old news for James, who fought one of his biggest rivals in five different playoff series (and one play-in game).
But in the context of this season, with James’ 40th birthday just days away, he seemed like someone who was keen to savor things.
He hugged Curry before the game, and the two summer Olympic teammates are still enjoying the experience. He ran onto the court after halftime, stopped at the end of the tunnel and playfully danced to “Not Like Us” with Chase Center security. And during the game, he showed his age against the unexpectedly undermanned Lakers in a 115-113 victory over the Warriors with timely help from Austin Reaves.
After a flurry of attacks by Curry in the fourth, Reaves got past Andrew Wiggins and scored with one second left to seal the victory.
With D’Angelo Russell out for the entire game and Anthony Davis out for most of the game, James didn’t just use good old-fashioned physicality to get into the paint. He jumped over the pass line, dug in on double teams and deflected, swung middie and bullied small defenders between himself and the rim.
Russell sprained his thumb and missed Monday’s game between the Lakers and Detroit. Davis, who has played against Golden State’s small lineup, played just seven scoreless minutes before leaving the game with a sprained left ankle.
That meant even the most energetic James was going to need help. On Wednesday, he figured it out.
Reeves finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, his third triple-double of his career. Rui Hachimura scored 18 points, made five threes, and grinned on the Lakers’ bench as he returned to play defense. Max Christie and Gabe Vincent followed Curry, and rookie Dalton Knecht, who was in a month-long slump, scored 13 points off the bench.
But winning is always difficult. And the Warriors, like James, don’t shy away from the biggest stage.
Former Laker Dennis Schroder sank a three after a block by James, and Curry hit a driving layup to cut the Lakers’ lead to two within 30 seconds.
Christie made two free throws, but Curry made a very difficult three from deep in the corner over James to make it a one-point lead. Reaves made two free throws, but the door was still open.
Curry was then successful enough to make another 3 off a Draymond green screen, this time unopposed, to tie the game with six seconds left, and the Lakers won on a driving layup by Reaves.
