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» » LeBron James rallies Lakers past Pacers in OT with dazzling 39-point effort - OCRegister

LeBron James rallies Lakers past Pacers in OT with dazzling 39-point effort - OCRegister

INDIANAPOLIS — LeBron James was humbled for a fleeting moment in the second quarter, when he was reminded of what he can’t quite do anymore.

Grabbing an outlet pass, he took off from the side of the lane while barreling down in transition. He cocked his arm back like a hammer, preparing to throw down a dunk. But 36-year-old legs don’t carry him quite as far as they used to, and James was forced to settle for a layup when once he might have left Gainbridge Fieldhouse shaking with a highlight-reel slam.

But James can still bring down the house – because he’s still as good as anyone at hitting the biggest shots.

The four-time league MVP hit a handful on Wednesday night, none more awe-striking than the second of two overtime 3-pointers in the face of Indiana’s Domantas Sabonis, forcing the Pacers to take a timeout and stopping to celebrate with his signature “silencer” celebration.

“It’s winning time,” James said. “I understand my teammates are going to be looking to me to make plays. I had the ball in my hands a lot, so I just tried to come on for them.”

That wasn’t the last shot James made in his highest-scoring performance of the season, but it was all the Lakers needed in a 124-116 overtime victory. James’ 39 points delivered the struggling Lakers (10-10) a needed victory as they ended their five-game road trip without Anthony Davis in the lineup (fever), and his panache added flair to a team that has been lacking swagger and confidence.

His celebrations alone – including a spicy variation of the Sam Cassell dance – sent the bench, and the Lakers-friendly road crowd, into hysterics. Back in his old Indiana stomping grounds, Coach Frank Vogel marveled at how James had whipped them into a frenzy with what he called “a performance for the ages.”

“I wouldn’t like it if I were here coaching,” Vogel said, “but I understand it.”

As good as James was, scoring 17 of his points in the fourth quarter and overtime, the Lakers had to play an extra five minutes to ensure the win and keep their perfect 4-0 record in OT.

The Pacer who sent the game into overtime was rookie Chris Duarte, who nailed an absurdly difficult attempt with Avery Bradley blanketing him as he jumped over the baseline, well past the backboard. As it went in, the Lakers looked dumbfounded – their second win of this trip at least temporarily delayed and perhaps snatched away.

They had clawed to get it, down by as much as 12 points against a Pacers team that controlled much of the night but couldn’t punish the visitors with shooting. When Indiana went cold, missing 11 consecutive field-goal attempts, the Lakers pounced and took their first lead with just 4:35 left in the fourth quarter on a Malik Monk 3-pointer.

James took it home, making three of his five shots in the extra period, finishing with a raindrop fadeaway on Malcolm Brogdon, who led the Pacers with 28 points.

Some of his closing fury was motivated by missing out on Tuesday’s prime-time tilt at Madison Square Garden – James’ favorite road venue – because he was serving a one-game suspension for his role in Sunday’s dust-up with Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart. James said he thought he deserved to be ejected but not suspended for the first time in his 19-year career. That absence, combined with the 10 previous games he missed due to injury this season, inspired him to come up big.

“Obviously I love the game of basketball and just having the game taken away from you, it’s frustration,” he said. “Eager to get back on the floor and happy to be back in the lineup with my guys tonight, and just tried to make some plays in the fourth quarter and overtime.”

The Lakers made their rally with a group that Vogel had said would be “unlikely” just hours before the game, playing James and Carmelo Anthony as the forwards with three guards. The Lakers wanted to close with that group, but they went to it early after battling back from multiple double-digit deficits. The lineups succeeded in part because they put James in position to call out plays and coverages.

The Lakers’ bench delivered: Anthony (14 points) and Wayne Ellington (14 points) each hit shots that made a difference as the Lakers battled their way on top in the fourth. Monk was the best off the bench, scoring 17 points and grabbing a season-best eight rebounds as the Lakers managed to stay even on the boards with their hosts despite being without their All-Star big man.

“This is a new era of basketball: Five perimeter players, using that space to attack and switching things defensively,” Vogel said. “But I was just proud of our guys for how we competed on the defensive end. And how we stayed in the game.”

Russell Westbrook had 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the win, but the other Laker starters combined for 12 points. Still, it was enough to beat out a balanced effort from Indiana, which had seven players score in double figures.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle anticipated big things out of James in his return from suspension, which he termed Indiana’s “unlucky fortune.” But James looked more rusty than vengeful early, missing four of his first five shots including getting swallowed up by Myles Turner on one early possession.

But even if James never quite physically dominated, he made up for it with shot-making (13 for 29 overall). His team-high five 3-pointers reflect his expanding range, which has grown even in the years since he’s been with the Lakers.

Nobody in the Laker locker room, however, is surprised by anything James does on the court. Even if he’s still taking their breath away.

“(Expletive), that’s what he does,” Monk said. “I’ve been watching him my whole life. He’s like our Jordan in my generation. So, just seeing that and I’m just blessed to be able to be out there with him and just learn from him every day.”

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