LOS ANGELES — So much for subplots.
In a game that could have well served as a referendum on last summer’s big trade that might have left both teams with buyer’s remorse, LeBron James seized the spotlight and never let it go.
Following a 56-point effort in his previous home game against Golden State last weekend, the 37-year-old James dominated the Washington Wizards, led by his former teammates, in a much-needed 122-109 win on Friday night. James was 18 for 25 from the floor (6 for 9 from 3-point range), pounding his chest, flexing his biceps and simply screaming with emotion as the sellout home crowd lapped it up.
In one of James’ final attempts, he was matched up with Kyle Kuzma – his Lakers teammate for three seasons – with his back to the basket. James turned around and launched a fadeaway with Kuzma’s hands inches from his face and knocked it down. Kuzma could only laugh as he ran back on offense.
When James is on, there’s little anyone can do.
James well outshined his former teammates, who came to visit town for the first time since being traded. Kuzma led the Wizards with 23 points and seven rebounds, eliciting a friendly call of “KUUUUZ!” from the crowd as he pushed the ball upcourt for the first time. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had a much rockier return, going 1 for 6 for the floor.
The Lakers’ most electric stretches this season have come when James is at his best, and the 15th 50-point game of his career was no exception. In just under 3½ minutes, James showcased his offensive versatility: a rainbow 3-pointer over Kristaps Porzingis; an 18-foot fadeaway; a layup through contact plus the free throw; a pull-up 3-pointer from 30 feet; a double-pump one-handed bank shot over Kuzma, and finally a dunk that saw him rise well above the rim and bring the crowd to its feet as well.
All told: Six field goals and a free throw, all makes, for 15 points – helping flip the game from a seven-point deficit to a three-point lead. James wound up with 19 of his points in the third quarter, which the Lakers won 37-23.
The Lakers, which had lost six of their last seven games coming in, led by as many as 18 midway through the fourth quarter.
In the background, there was melodrama: Russell Westbrook had another poor shooting game (2 for 11). Though he thrived as a playmaker with nine assists against a single turnover, he exited the game with 8:37 left and did not return. Earlier in the week, Westbrook expressed his discontent with what he’s deemed “harassment” from fans – he was booed shortly before halftime by the sellout crowd when he missed his eighth shot of the night.
The Lakers’ role players made up the production in aggregate. Malik Monk was the team’s second-leading scorer with 21 points, thriving from deep (5 for 7 from 3-point range). Rookie guard Austin Reaves exploited a sloppy Wizards defense for back cuts, totaling 12 points. Defense was the key, however: The Wizards were outscored 70-50 in the second half.
The only other healthy remaining Laker from the 2020 championship squad also had a solid effort: Talen Horton-Tucker had 15 points, five rebounds and two steals. His top highlight was spinning into the paint and hammering a dunk over Kuzma in the fourth quarter.
In the bigger picture, assist history was made on Friday night. With a dime to Reaves in the third quarter, Westbrook passed Andre Miller (8,525) for 11th on the NBA’s career assists list.
More to come on this story.