Lakers vs. Warriors Final Score: LeBron outduels Stephen Curry in win

The Los Angeles Lakers once again got a superlative effort from LeBron James, and this time it was enough for them to take home an actual victory rather than just a moral one. James exploded against his longtime finales foes, almost singlehandedly willing the Lakers to a 124-116 win over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night.

The Lakers actually came out strong in this one, outscoring the Warriors 27-15 over the first 10 minutes of the game. However, the Warriors battled back by the end of the second, leading by 5 heading into halftime following a back-and-forth frame. The Lakers trailed by the exact same amount heading into the fourth quarter after a 27-27 third period, and after both teams did their best to give the game away down the stretch with a series of fouls, bricks and turnovers, L.A. was finally able to pull this one out when James found Carmelo Anthony for a corner three that gave the Lakers a six-point advantage they wouldn’t relinquish with just over 30 seconds remaining.

Then — fittingly after he missed two free throws in crunch time a month ago — James then hit both freebies after Stephen Curry bricked a three on the other end, securing the victory for Los Angeles.

That this win was even possible is mostly a credit to James’ ongoing greatness at age 37. After a few less-than-focused games since the All-Star break, The King was once again locked in offensively, scoring 40 points over the first three quarters before finishing with a season (and Lakers)-high 56 total to go with 10 rebounds and 3 assists.

This season may have exposed a few of his warts at times, but on any given night, he’s still capable of playing like the best player in the NBA.

This win moves the Lakers to 28-35 on the season, and snaps a four-game losing streak. They will now get Sunday off before hitting the road for a matchup with the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.

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