LeBron's big game helps Lakers fend off collapse in fourth straight win

Lakers star LeBron James (23) tries to block a shot by Minnesota’s Terrence Shannon Jr. in front of Lakers forward Rui Hachimura during the first half of the Lakers’ 111-102 win Thursday at Crypto.com Arena. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The first row of seats directly across from the benches was empty at the start of the second half. Instead of watching the game courtside, fans were attending a party for Netflix’s “Running Point,” a comedy inspired by Jeanie Buss that premiered Thursday.

Early in the third quarter, LeBron James flew into some of the empty seats, flying at Naz Reid, who had an open look at a three-pointer. James caused just enough of a distraction that Reid missed, the Lakers pushing the other way and scoring as James untangled himself from a collapsed row of chairs.

It was another moment, another play by James for a Lakers team that has suddenly become one of the NBA’s grittiest — a group that fights on defense and can grind out wins where its offense isn’t at its best like Thursday, when it hung on for a 111-102 win.

James finished with 33 points, 17 rebounds and six assists. Austin Reaves scored 23 points.

The Lakers (36-21) raced to a 23-point lead against Minnesota, dominating from the tip thanks to stellar play that has made them the league’s most efficient team on defense over the past 20-plus games.

Minnesota (32-28), however, found its footing after losing Anthony Edwards to an ejection midway through the third quarter. Without Edwards, Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert — the latter two because of injury — the Timberwolves ticked up their physicality and attacked, whittling the Lakers’ lead down to three points.

Lakers guard Luka Doncic, left, tries to pass around leaping Minnesota guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (9) in the first half Thursday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

But two buckets from Luka Doncic, including one absurd three-pointer made as he fell out of bounds, gave the Lakers enough cushion in a game that, fittingly, ended with them having to fight for every point.

The Lakers’ defensive effort came on the perfect night, another one where Doncic’s three wasn’t falling and the newly acquired star struggled to find his offensive rhythm.

The rest of the Lakers slowly wore down. Everything from open threes, to layups to free throws all failed to break an invisible seal placed on the rim in the fourth.

The team made just five of 20 attempts from the field in the fourth quarter, and while the Lakers shot 46 free throws, they made only 32.

Playing for the sixth time since being traded from Dallas, Doncic made just one three-pointer, missing eight, on his way to finishing with 21 points on six-for-20 shooting from the field. Since joining the Lakers, he’s shooting 11 of 49 (22.4%) from three-point range.

The Lakers also saw Rui Hachimura leave the game in the third after scoring on a one-handed dunk. He immediately grimaced and went back to the locker room and didn’t return because of a left-knee strain.

The Lakers play Friday against the Clippers.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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LeBron’s big game helps Lakers fend off collapse in fourth straight win

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