LeBron James returns with trademark double act for Lakers after missing games due to personal reasons

LeBron James returns with trademark double act for Lakers after missing games due to personal reasons.

Anthony Davis had 40 points and 16 rebounds, LeBron James added 18 points in his return and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 116-110 on Monday (AEDT).

 

James also had eight rebounds, eight assists and five turnovers in 34 minutes after missing the previous two games against Portland and Minnesota because of a mixture of a left foot injury and personal reasons.

 

The biggest highlight came when he scored his first points on a running one-handed dunk just over two minutes into the first quarter. He followed immediately with a block.

Austin Reaves scored 19 points for Los Angeles.

 

The Lakers never trailed and led by 23 points in the second half.

 

Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 25 points for Memphis, which had won four in a row.

 

Ja Morant had 20 points, Zach Edey added 13 points and 10 rebounds and Luke Kennard had 12 points.

 

James’ return energised Los Angeles, but Davis continues to carry the team. The 31-year-old power forward had 22 points and 10 rebounds in the first half. He briefly left in the third quarter because of shoulder injury, then returned in the fourth and scored 12 critical points down the stretch.

 

45 minutes before the start of the match, the Lakers announced James’ status had been upgraded from questionable to available.

 

The Lakers described James’ time away as an excused absence while noting that he’s also been managing some left foot pain. Lakers coach JJ Redick revealed before the game with Memphis that he and the four-time NBA MVP met on the day of the Portland game to discuss his plan for a break.

“When I talked to him earlier this week, I think I said something along those lines, just hoping that he was getting a good mind and body reset,” Redick said in his pregame availability Sunday.

 

“He said he felt like he was.”

 

Redick indicated that he could appreciate if James felt the need for a few days off.

 

“I played 15 (years) and was emotionally, mentally, physically drained, fried,” Redick said.

 

“I put everything I had into this game. I had nothing left. For guys like him and (Chris Paul), the Tom Brady’s of the world, the Roger Federer’s of the world, it’s hard to comprehend having that level of sustained excellence for so long because of the toll that it takes on all of you, not just your body.”

 

Post-game, James said he “felt pretty good”.

“It’s very rare throughout the course of the season where you can take advantage of the schedule, and I was able to do that the past week,” he said.

 

“I felt my foot, felt my body … I did my pregame workout on that Sunday for the Portland game and decided it was probably best if I took that day off,” James said.

 

“I had the opportunity to take more days and get my mind, body and just everything where I wanted to be for tonight, and it worked out.”