Luka Dončić celebrated his 27th birthday with a game-high 26 points, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 129-101 victory over the Golden State Warriors and snapping a three-game losing streak, according to reports from the New York Times and ESPN.
Dončić’s performance came despite leaving the Lakers-Sixers game earlier in the week with a hamstring injury, and he is scheduled to undergo further testing to determine the severity, the New York Times reported. The injury occurred during the first half of the game against Philadelphia, prompting the team to proceed with caution.
LeBron James added 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists for the Lakers, while Austin Reaves contributed 18 points. The Lakers established a commanding lead early, jumping to a 33-16 advantage and maintaining control throughout the contest. James also reached a milestone, becoming only the second player in Lakers history, alongside Kobe Bryant, to record over 1,000 made three-pointers.
The Warriors were led by Gui Santos, who scored 14 points. The Lakers’ win moves them to 1.5 games ahead of the Phoenix Suns for the final guaranteed playoff spot in the Western Conference and 4.5 games ahead of the Warriors, according to reports.
Elsewhere in the NBA on Saturday, Bam Adebayo led the Miami Heat to a 115-105 win over the Houston Rockets, scoring 24 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Kevin Durant led the Rockets with 32 points.
In other games, the Charlotte Hornets defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 109-92, the Toronto Raptors beat the Washington Wizards 132-125, and the New Orleans Pelicans secured a 115-105 victory over the Utah Jazz.
The NBA schedule continues on Sunday with an 11-game slate. The day begins with an ABC doubleheader featuring the San Antonio Spurs against the New York Knicks at 1 ET, followed by the Minnesota Timberwolves visiting the Denver Nuggets at 3:30 ET. The evening concludes with a highly anticipated matchup between the Philadelphia Sixers and the Boston Celtics on NBC and Peacock at 8 ET, marking the fourth consecutive game in their rivalry decided by a single basket.
The Sixers will be without Joel Embiid due to an oblique injury for the next three games, and will look to VJ Edgecombe to provide a boost, after he averaged 20.0 points over his last five games. The Celtics and Sixers have split their first three matchups this season, with each game decided by a single possession.
