Los Angeles, United States—LeBron James and Anthony Davis eased into the NBA’s pre-season on Wednesday (Thursday Philippine time) as the Los Angeles Lakers scored a 112-107 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
James, who barely two months ago led the Lakers to their NBA Finals triumph in Orlando, bagged 11 points with two rebounds and two assists during 15 first half minutes in Phoenix.
Davis added 10 points with four rebounds in 18 minutes on court. Both James and Davis were rested for the second half.
New Lakers signing Marc Gasol added three points in a 21-minute appearance. Kyle Kuzma led the scoring for the Lakers with 23 points.
The coronavirus-interrupted 2019-2020 campaign—which shut down for four months between March and July —eventually wrapped up in Florida in October.
With the new season tipping off on December 22, it means teams will have the shortest off-season in NBA history.
Lakers head coach Frank Vogel had opted to rest both James and Davis for the team’s first two pre-season games against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Lakers have been installed as favorites for the upcoming season, strengthening their squad with the addition of Gasol, German point guard Dennis Schroder and center Montrezl Harrell.
Meanwhile, Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward has a fracture at the base of his right little finger and will miss at least one pre-season game, the NBA team said.
The Hornets said Hayward will be listed as day-to-day, indicating the injury on his shooting hand won’t require surgery.
Hayward was hurt in the team’s pre-season loss to the Toronto Raptors on Monday.
A statement from the club described it as an avulsion fracture—in which a small piece of bone attached to a tendon or ligament is pulled loose.
Hayward, who declined a $34.2 million player option with the Boston Celtics last month to become a free agent, was a key acquisition for the Hornets, who signed him to a four-year deal worth a reported $120 million.
Hayward, who missed all but one game of the 2017-18 season with the Celtics after suffering a grisly foot and ankle injury in his season debut, averaged 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists last season for the Celtics.
The Hornets open the 2020-21 season on December 23 against the Cavaliers in Cleveland.