The Lakers defeated the Pelicans 124-108 away, James played 38 minutes, 11 of 20, 0 of 2 three-pointers, and 28 points, 11 rebounds and 17 assists (a season high) and 5 steals and 1 block on all 6 free throws, leading the team to lock up the eighth. After the game, James also said ruthlessly to grab the seventh place, obviously not afraid of the first-round matchup against the Nuggets.
'It's going to be very, very tough, physical, and I think of those two games as a two-game series, where they have time to look back at the footage and feel what it's like to lose, and they're going to be ready for us. James said. Next, the Lakers and the Pelicans will face off in the play-offs, and the two sides will fight for seven.
Some lake media believe that the Lakers should release the water in the play-offs, not seventh, avoid the Nuggets, strive for eighth, and play the Thunder. But apparently, James doesn't think so.
James is so confident, obviously because of his excellent form. In this game, James became the fifth player in NBA history to score at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, 15 assists and 5 steals in a single game, in addition, after this game, James' career assists reached 11009 (10992 before this game), and he became the first player in NBA history to score 40000+ rebounds, 11000+ assists and 11000+! ”
Moreover, James averaged 8.1 points per game in the final quarter of this season, ranking first in the league. James himself said: "Even though we've been through a lot, it's been a pretty good season for us, and I'm in better shape now than I was when I entered the playoffs last season!" In the regular season, the 39-year-old James played in a total of 71 games, averaging 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 35.2 minutes per game, shooting 54% from the field, 41% from three-point range, and 75% from the free throw line.