Austin Reaves made a layup with one second remaining to give the Los Angeles Lakers a 115-113 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night in San Francisco, capping off his triple-double performance. LeBron James contributed 31 points, adding to his Christmas Day legacy.
Despite losing Anthony Davis early in the game due to a twisted left ankle, the Lakers maintained the lead for most of the final three quarters, securing their fourth win in the last five games.
The Lakers were up 109-100 when James assisted Max Christie for a basket with 1:30 left. However, Stephen Curry almost pulled off a dramatic comeback. After Jonathan Kuminga’s dunk and Dennis Schroder’s 3-pointer, Curry hit two incredible 3-pointers in the last 12.2 seconds, including a game-tying 31-foot shot with 7.1 seconds remaining.
The Lakers then tried to pass the ball to James, but the Warriors double-teamed him, so Reaves took control, driving to the basket and scoring the game-winning layup.
James, the all-time leading scorer in NBA Christmas games, finished with 31 points, 10 assists, and two steals, making 12 of his 22 shots. Reaves stepped up in place of Davis, scoring 26 points, including four 3-pointers, and also had 10 rebounds and 10 assists, marking his third career triple-double.
Rui Hachimura added 18 points, Max Christie scored 16, and Dalton Knecht contributed 13 for the Lakers, who have appeared in NBA Christmas games for 26 consecutive seasons.
Curry led all scorers with 38 points, mostly from eight 3-pointers, tying the NBA record for Christmas Day games. Andrew Wiggins supported Curry with 21 points and a game-high 12 rebounds for the Warriors, who have now lost five of their last six games.
Kuminga finished with 14 points, and Schroder and Trayce Jackson-Davis scored 11 each. Draymond Green had 10 rebounds, six assists, four blocks, and three points.
