LOS ANGELES (AFP) — LeBron James hit another National Basketball Association milestone Friday as he and Anthony Davis fueled the Los Angeles Lakers’ hard-fought 133-129 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
James scored 28 points and handed out 11 assists — passing former Lakers great Magic Johnson for sixth on the NBA’s all-time assists list — as Los Angeles weathered a late Bucks surge to emerge with the victory in coach Darvin Ham’s return to the city where he won a title in 2021 as an assistant to coach Mike Budenholzer.
It was also close in Boston, where Miami star Jimmy Butler returned from a seven-game injury absence and helped the Heat grab a 120-116 overtime victory that snapped the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics’ 10-game home winning streak.
In Milwaukee, the Lakers delivered arguably their best victory of the season.
Davis scored 44 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Russell Westbrook added 15 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists.
“Team effort,” Davis said. “We played for a full 48 minutes tonight, competing, taking punches. We withstood their run.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 40 points and Jrue Holiday added 28 points for the Bucks, who had All-Star forward Khris Middleton for the first time this season after his recovery from off-season wrist surgery.