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LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Nagpakawala si LeBron James ng panibagong epic performance noong Linggo nang umiskor ng 40 puntos at tumugma sa career-high na may siyam na three-pointers upang ihatid ang Los Angeles Lakers sa 116-104 tagumpay laban sa Brooklyn.

Si James, isang four-time NBA Most Valuable Player at pinakamatandang aktibong player ng NBA sa edad na 39, ay gumawa ng 13-of-17 shots mula sa floor overall at nagdagdag ng pitong rebounds at limang assist sa pagsisikap na binigyan siya ng mga tagahanga ng Brooklyn ng standing ovation.

“I was feeling pretty good today, obviously, shooting the ball from the perimeter,” saad ni James. “I just try to continually put my game where I have no weaknesses out on the floor, especially offensively. Tonight, I had it going from the three-point line.”

Nakamit ni James ang kanyang ika-77 NBA career na 40-point game para ipantayan si Oscar Robertson sa ikapito sa all-time list na pinangungunahan ng 271 ni Wilt Chamberlain.

“I love this game. I try to put everything into the game and with it, it gives back to me,” sabi ni James. “Anytime I’m linked with the greats -– and obviously Big O was a big inspiration for me growing up, reading about his history –- it’s pretty cool.”

Nagdagdag si Anthony Davis ng 24 puntos at 14 na rebounds habang si Rui Hachimura ng Japan ay may 20 puntos at 10 rebounds nang agawin ng Lakers ang 17-0 lead at hindi na lumingon.

Umiskor si D’Angelo Russell ng 18 puntos at nabasag ang 10,000-career point barrier sa tagumpay nang umunlad ang Lakers sa 42-33, nangunguna lamang sa Golden State sa huling dalawang Western Conference play-in spot.

“Just extremely thankful that he packed the cape on this road trip,” sabi ni Lakers coach Darvin Ham. “We needed all nine of those threes. (We) kind of dropped the rope in terms of what we were doing; turned the ball over way too much, but that said, you have to just overcome these things... And we were able to do that by some huge shot-making by him.”

Hindi lang si James ang superstar na may siyam na three-pointers noong Linggo.

Umiskor si Luka Doncic ng 47 puntos sa 18-of-30 shooting, 9-of-16 mula sa three-point range, para pangunahan ang Dallas laban sa host Houston, 125-107, na pinutol ang 11 sunod na panalo ng Rockets at pinahaba ang panalo ng Mavericks sunod sunod na pitong laro.

Nakipagsabayan ang Golden State sa Lakers nang manalo, 117-113, sa San Antonio. Umiskor si Stephen Curry ng 33 puntos para pamunuan ang Warriors habang pinangunahan ni rookie Victor Wembanyama ang hosts na may 32 puntos.

Naiposte ni Nikola Jokic ang kanyang ika-23 triple double ng season, na nagpasiklab sa 130-101 home victory ng defending champion Denver laban sa Cleveland.

Ang 29-anyos na Serbian center, isang two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, ay umiskor ng 26 puntos, humakot ng 18 rebounds at nagdagdag ng 16 na assists para sa kanyang ika-128 NBA triple double.

“It speaks to why he’s going to be a three-time MVP,” sabi ni Nuggets coach Michael Malone. “It was him showing up and saying, ‘I’m going to do what MVPs do. I’m going to lead us to a win.’”