LeBron James and Kevin Durant faced off Thursday night for the first time in five years. Their long-overdue showdown did not disappoint.
Durant spearheaded the Suns’ offensive attack with 30 points in the first three quarters. Phoenix carried an 84-72 heading into the fourth. But James and the Lakers dominated the final quarter. They outscored the Suns 28-11 for a 100-95 victory at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif.
The two shared an emotional embrace after the final buzzer had sounded.
KD 🤝 LeBron
Nothing but respect. pic.twitter.com/XvGGD1gWLH
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) October 27, 2023
Durant finished with a game-high 39 points on 14-of-18 shooting. KD picked up the scoring slack on Thursday as his All-Star teammates Devin Booker and Bradley Beal were both sidelined with injuries.
James played the entire fourth quarter, scoring 10 of his 21 points in the final 12 minutes to help prevent the Lakers from falling into a 0-2 hole to start the season.
James also converted a clutch layup to give the Lakers a 4-point lead with 41 seconds to play.
Don't take LeBron James for granted. pic.twitter.com/Zp5DY51g3m
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) October 27, 2023
KD and LeBron have had extensive battles over their lengthy NBA careers. Being able to witness 38-year-old James and 35-year-old Durant still perform at such a high level at this point is certainly a treat for basketball fans.
Lakers big man Anthony Davis, who received a lot of flak for his second-half no-show in the Lakers’ season opener Tuesday, bounced back against the Suns. AD led the Lakers in points (30), rebounds (12), steals (3), and blocks (3).
