James shines as Lakers defeat Nets

LOS ANGELES: LeBron James moved a step closer to passing Kobe Bryant on the all-time National Basketball Association scoring list with his 10th triple double of the season as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Brooklyn Nets 128-113.

James finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists to post his 91st career triple double in front of a crowd of 17,700 at Barclays Arena that included former US President Bill Clinton.

James received a standing ovation from the Brooklyn crowd when he left the game for good late in the fourth quarter with the Lakers holding a big lead.

There was so little defence played in the first half of Thursday’s contest that for a while it appeared James might have a chance at catching Bryant for third place on the NBA all-time scoring list.

James ended the game at 33,626 points, 17 shy of Bryant. His next chance at passing Bryant will be Saturday in Philadelphia.

“To be linked with the greats that means a lot to me,” said James, who was named a starter for the 2020 NBA all-star game earlier in the day. “I grew up idolizing Michael (Jordan) and Kobe, gaining inspiration from their crafts and their stories.”

James shot 11 of 19 from the floor as the Lakers shot 50 percent overall and hit a season-high 19 three-pointers.