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Last night, eight games were played in the NBA league, with LeBron James and Nikola Jokić in the spotlight. James celebrated his 38th birthday with a 47-point performance, leading the Lakers to a 130-121 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
The Hawks were led by Bogdan Bogdanović, who scored 17 points with four rebounds and three assists. "I've been scoring 30 and it hasn't worked so ... try 40," James said. "And we got a win. It's math." "I feel better than [he felt at] 18," James said.
"I didn't know what I could become at 18. But I just knew if I continued to put in the work, I continued to be true to the game, then I could be one of the greatest players to ever play this game. I just always believed that.
... There are times when I'm on the floor where I do feel like a kid again. That's for sure." "The dude is nothing short of phenomenal, amazing," said Lakers coach Darvin Ham. "But it's something I expect. Like, it doesn't blow me away.
It's just something I expect from him. It's just like, 'Damn! Carry on.' " "To see that performance from him, you just don't want to take greatness for granted like that," said Thomas Bryant.
Other Games
Giannis Antetokounmpo also shone in Milwaukee's 123-114 triumph over Minnesota, scoring 43 points and recording 20 rebounds.
The Golden State Warriors defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 118-112, led by Jordan Poole's 41 points. Kristaps Porzingis led the Washington Wizards to a 119-100 victory over the Orlando Magic with 30 points and 13 rebounds, while the Toronto Raptors defeated the Phoenix Suns 113-104 thanks to the tandem of Trent - Siakam, who together scored 61 points.
The New Orleans Pelicans won over the Philadelphia 76ers 127-116 with impressive performances by McCallum (42 points) and Zion Williamson (36 points). Zach LaVine scored 43 points in the Chicago Bulls' 132-118 victory over the Detroit Pistons, and the Sacramento Kings narrowly defeated the Utah Jazz 126-125 despite a strong game from Lauri Markanen.