The Cavs stole the show against the former franchise legend, and also swept the season series from LA to head into the new year at 29-4.
LOS ANGELES — The Cleveland Cavaliers claimed a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers with a final score of 122-110 on Wednesday night. Jarrett Allen led the way with a season-high 27 points, while Donovan Mitchell contributed 26 points to secure the Cavaliers’ eighth consecutive win. The game marked LeBron James’ first appearance post his 40th birthday celebration.
LeBron James, who turned 40 on Monday, scored 23 points in this historic game. He became the first player in NBA history to compete in a game during both his teenage years and at the age of 40. It was a significant moment as this milestone game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team that drafted James as the first overall pick in 2003 and with whom he had two long stints during his career.
The Akron, Ohio, native helped lead the Cavaliers to their first NBA championship in 2016.
Evan Mobley added 20 points for Cleveland, which enters the new year with an NBA-best 29-4 record, including a 9-0 against the Western Conference.
Austin Reaves had a season-high 35 points with 10 assists and nine rebounds for the Lakers. Anthony Davis added 28 points and 13 rebounds.
Los Angeles goes into 2025 with an 18-14 mark, seventh in the Western Conference.
Takeaways
Cavaliers: Sam Merrill sprained his right ankle during the second quarter and did not return. Darius Garland had a season-high 14 assists.
Lakers: The Los Angeles Lakers showcased their newest acquisitions, Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, who made their team debuts following a recent trade with Brooklyn. In their first game in Lakers’ colors, Milton contributed six points, while Finney-Smith added two to the team’s efforts.
Key moment
Cleveland led 96-80 less than three minutes into the fourth quarter before Los Angeles started to rally. The Lakers got within 112-107 before the Cavaliers closed the game on a 10-3 run. Allen’s dunk with 1:58 remaining gave Cleveland a 116-107 advantage, putting it out of reach.
Key stat
The Cavaliers made 18 3-pointers, the seventh straight game they have had at least that many from beyond the arc.
Up next
The Cavaliers wrap up their road trip at Dallas on Friday, while the Lakers host Portland on Thursday.
