LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers overcame Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors 145-144 in a NBA double overtime classic on Saturday.
James, defied his status as the oldest player in the league at 39, scoring 36 points with 20 rebounds and 12 assists in his 48 minutes on court.
Curry, the 35-year-old two-time MVP, finished on the losing side despite an outstanding performance scoring 46 points with seven assists.
Four-time MVP James settled the game by sinking his two free throws with just a second remaining on the clock.
The Warriors grabbed the one point lead thanks to a superb 28-foot, three-point jumper from Curry with 5.2 seconds left.
Klay Thompson took the game into the second period of overtime after his 25-foot three pointer with seven seconds remaining.
All that came after Curry levelled the enthralling game with 5.2 seconds left in regulation.
James said the duel with Curry was one he would look back on when his Hall of Fame career is finally over.
“It’s something that you will truly take all in when you are done playing and are able to watch with your grandkids and say that I played against one of the best ever to play this game,” he said.
“Steph came to me after the game and said ‘how does it keep getting better?'”
Nikola Jokic and the defending champions Denver Nuggets held off a Philadelphia 76ers team without star center Joel Embiid, winning 111-105 on Saturday.
Embiid, the league’s reigning MVP, was a late scratch for the visiting 76ers, sitting out with left knee soreness after his pre-game workout.
It is the fourth straight season that Embiid has missed a chance to go face-to-face with two-time MVP Jokic in Denver.
Philadelphia, who beat Denver at home this month, were also without injured pair Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris, but pushed the Nuggets all the way in a close affair.
Jokic put up 26 points and 16 rebounds while Jamal Murray scored 23 points while Michael Porter Jr scored 20 for Denver, who led 64-62 at the half.
Paul Reed made an alley-oop layup to make it a four point game with 24 seconds remaining but after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope drained two free throws, Murray blocked Marcus Morris’s three-point attempt.
Reed led the Sixers with 30 points and added 13 rebounds while Kelly Oubre scored 25.
– Heat lose to Knicks –
The Miami Heat suffered a sixth straight loss with 125-109 defeat to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden with Jalen Brunson scoring 31 points and eight assists.
It is the first time Miami have lost six in a row since March 2021, but also highlighted the Knicks’ improvement since trading for OG Anunoby in December.
New York are 12-2 since adding Anunoby from Toronto and he played a key role in the win with 19 points, nine rebounds and three assists.
Miami, beaten finalists last year, are seventh in the East with a 24-22 record.
Media reports said the Knicks two-time All-Star Julus Randle, who went out injured in the fourth quarter, dislocated a right shoulder.
Randle, who has played in all 46 games for the Knicks this season and had 19 points against Miami, is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Sunday.
The forward suffered a hard fall as he attempted a layup and head coach Tom Thibodeau said he was very concerned about the injury.
“He’s a guy that plays through things and that’s what you love about him,” said the coach.
“He’s a warrior (but) anytime someone walks back (to the locker room), you know it’s something,” he said.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points and 12 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks, second in the East, crushed New Orleans 141-117 ahead of Doc Rivers’ debut on their bench on Monday.
Luka Doncic ended up on the losing side, afer his franchise-record 73 point showing in Friday’s win over Atlanta, as the Dallas Mavericks fell toa 120-115 loss to Sacramento.
Doncic made 28 points and 17 assists in the loss with De’Aaron Fox scoring 34 points for the Kings.
In the battle of two Frenchmen, Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs upset Rudy Gobert’s Minnesota Timberwolves 113-112.
Number one draft pick Wembanyama had 23 points, 10 rebounds and six assists as the Spurs, bottom of the West beat the second placed team in their conference.