LeBron in groove, hits triple-double
LOS ANGELES – LeBron James had 28 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds while leading the Los Angeles Lakers’ late rally for his first home victory at Staples Center, 128-111 over the previously unbeaten Denver Nuggets on Thursday night.
Kyle Kuzma scored 22 points and JaVale McGee added 21 to complement James’ 74th career triple-double, his first with his new team.
With Kobe Bryant watching from a courtside seat for the first time since LeBron’s arrival in LA, the Lakers trailed by eight points with six minutes left in the fourth quarter before Lance Stephenson started a 15-2 rally with back-to-back 3-pointers. Stephenson finished with 12 points.
James got Staples Center rocking on a go-ahead dunk with 3:31 to play before Lonzo Ball made an artful step-back 3-pointer. Kuzma added two huge dunks down the stretch of Los Angeles’ second win in two days after an 0-3 start.
Nikola Jokic scored 24 points for the Nuggets, who were off to their best start since the 2009-10 season. Jamal Murray scored 22 points and Monte Morris had 20, but Denver couldn’t answer the Lakers’ rally led by James, who posted his third career triple-double in Staples Center for his third different team.
In Oklahoma City, Jayson Tatum scored 24 points, and Boston rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit to beat winless Oklahoma City, 101-95.
Marcus Morris added 21 points, Al Horford had 19 and Kyrie Irving 15.
Paul George scored 22 points for Oklahoma City, but shot just 7 of 22. Russell Westbrook had 13 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, but he shot 5 for 20. The Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers are the only winless teams in the NBA.
Morris hit a 3-pointer with 27 seconds left to give the Celtics a 98-95 lead, and they held on.
Oklahoma City led 50-34 at halftime. Boston shot just 32 percent in the first half and missed all 11 of its 3-point attempts.
In Detroit, Andre Drummond had 26 points and 22 rebounds, and Detroit improved to 4-0 and dropped Cleveland to its sixth straight loss, 110-103, for the first time since 2003-04 – when LeBron James was a rookie.