Doncic, James power Lakers

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Luka Doncic returned with a triple-double and LeBron James came up big in the clutch to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 112-108 National Basketball Association victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

Doncic, who missed two games as he traveled to Slovenia to welcome the birth of his second daughter, scored 31 points with 15 rebounds and 11 assists, throwing in two blocked shots for good measure.

James, who will turn 41 later this month, scored 12 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, drilling a three-pointer and a jump shot to put Los Angeles up by five with 27.4 seconds remaining after the 76ers had knotted it at 105-105.

Doncic added a pair of free-throws and James came up with a steal with three seconds left to seal the win.

James, who missed the first 14 games of his unprecedented 23rd season with sciatica, said he felt fresh on a night when he knew Doncic was likely feeling the effects of travel and teammate Austin Reaves was weary after carrying the offensive load in Doncic’s absence.

“The end of a road trip, there can be a lot of tired legs,” James said.

“I felt great... I had the opportunity with some pretty good legs to try to assert myself a little offensively.”

Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 28 points as Joel Embiid, James’s teammate on the United States Olympic gold medal-winning team in Paris, connected on just four of 21 shots on the way to 16 points.