LeBron James claimed a history-making Christmas Day win as the Los Angeles Lakers edged past the Golden State Warriors 115-113 in San Francisco.
The success, clinched by Austin Reaves’ lay-up with one second to go, saw the 39-year-old become the NBA’s all-time leader in 25 December victories with his 11th in 19 appearances.
The Lakers secured the win despite losing big man Anthony Davis with a twisted left ankle eight minutes into the game
“It’s always difficult to play without AD, so I guess our job is even more heightened, we have to do a little bit more,” said James, who finished with 31 points.
“Everyone has to chip in, especially on the defensive end because AD is our anchor. I thought guys did a great job of just playing off one another, getting to where we wanted to get to offensively and also being able to buckle down and get timely stops versus a really good offensive team.”
Despite the absence of Davis, the Lakers controlled most of the game but were given a late scare.
Leading 109-100, with one minute and 30 seconds to go, Stephen Curry scored eight points for the Warriors as they went on a 13-4 run, including two three-pointers with 12.2 and 7.6 seconds left to level the game.
But Reaves drove to the basket for the game-winning score to finish with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists while Curry had a game-high 38 points, including eight three-pointers, tying the NBA record for a Christmas game.
