The Los Angeles Lakers handed the Golden State Warriors a 119-103 defeat at Chase Center on Thursday night, and LeBron James made sure the outcome was never really in doubt down the stretch. The 41-year-old finished with 26 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds, shooting 11 of 17 from the field and connecting on three three-pointers in a performance that once again raised the question of how much longer he intends to keep doing this.
Stephen Curry was not in uniform. The Warriors held their star guard out of the front end of a home-and-road back-to-back, managing his return from a 27-game absence caused by a right knee injury. Curry had appeared in the two previous games and Golden State was not prepared to run him on consecutive nights. It was also the franchise’s final scheduled home game of the regular season, as the Warriors head into the road as the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference, bound for the play-in tournament.
How the game unfolded
The first three quarters were relatively competitive. Golden State took the second period by a point, and neither team opened a significant gap through three. Then the fourth quarter happened.
Los Angeles outscored the Warriors 37-30 in the final period to pull away and close out the win. The Lakers also dominated in the paint, holding a 48-30 advantage in that area that gave them a reliable secondary edge beyond James’s playmaking. The quarter-by-quarter breakdown read: 28-23, 25-26, 29-24, and 37-30 in favor of Los Angeles.
James briefly left the game in the third quarter after appearing to jam his hand on a blocked shot, but James returned and showed no visible effects.
Supporting cast holds up
James did not win this alone. Deandre Ayton added 21 points and five rebounds, and Jake LaRavia contributed 16 points, seven rebounds, and four assists off the bench. The Lakers, who had dropped three straight heading into Thursday, looked like a team that had found its footing again at the right moment in the calendar.
Golden State was working with a thin roster. The Warriors used their 41st different starting lineup of the season and had just 10 healthy players available. Brandin Podziemski and Nate Williams each scored 17 points, while newly signed center Charles Bassey posted 12 points and 13 rebounds for his second consecutive double-double. Guard LJ Cryer left the game late after grabbing his right ankle.
Coach Steve Kerr indicated he expected reinforcements at Sacramento on Friday, with big men Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis both listed as probable.
What it means in the standings
The win moved Los Angeles to 51-29 and extended their four-game winning streak at Chase Center. The Lakers entered Friday night as the top seed in the Western Conference’s Pacific Division and hold a comfortable lead over Phoenix, which sits seven games back at 44-36.
Golden State fell to 37-43 with the loss and continues to navigate a difficult stretch with injuries and rotation uncertainty. The Warriors are locked into the play-in bracket and will need to win their way in from the outside.
The larger picture for LeBron
At 41, James is playing the final weeks of what may or may not be his last regular season. He is three years older than Curry, the teammate and rival who was not even on the floor Thursday. After 23 years in the league, his status beyond this season remains genuinely uncertain, which adds a layer of weight to performances like this one.
The Lakers host Phoenix on Friday night before wrapping up the regular season. For now, LeBron James is still very much in the business of winning basketball games.
