The 38-year-old star sends a message to Dillon Brooks and the Rockets by scoring 37 points in the Lakers’…

 

LeBron James charged down the lane from left to right, fighting through contact to muscle the ball up and over the backboard and through the hoop. His teammates stood and cheered as his momentum carried him to the corner of the Lakers’ bench. This was no ordinary basket against an ordinary opponent.

This was a two-point victory over Dillon Brooks. That’s why James made a point of placing his hand near the court. “Too small” was the message. In a 105-104 triumph over Houston on Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena, James scored 37 points and sank the game-winning free throw with Anthony Davis on the bench after fouling out.

But Brooks, who instigated things with James last spring in the playoffs as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, wasn’t going to back down. As Brooks hit big shot after big shot in the fourth quarter to keep the Rockets close, he forced James to respond.

And this time, the buckets from the NBA’s all-time leading scorer did the talking.

A baseline turnaround to beat the shot clock and a catch-and-shoot three-pointer were the haymakers, but neither knocked out the Rockets. A 30-foot-three from Austin Reaves to put the Lakers up by three didn’t do the trick, either.

Instead, it took a James free throw, coming after he had already missed his first attempt, to finally be the difference-maker.

Houston’s last chance, fittingly, was a half-court heave from Brooks that would’ve stolen the game. It missed wide.

 

LeBron James

Davis had 27 points, 10 rebounds, and a block before fouling out. Austin Reaves had 17 in only 25 minutes off the bench, grabbing six rebounds and dishing six assists. He did, though, miss a clutch late free throw—the only hiccup in a big night.

The Lakers again survived on a night when they were badly outshot on the perimeter, with Houston hitting eight more threes than the Lakers on a night when they went six for 29 (20.7%).

Somehow, the Lakers are 3-0 this season when they’ve been worse than 22% from three.

The Lakers can clinch a berth in the in-season tournament quarterfinals Tuesday night when they host Utah in their pool-play finale.