Recap: LeBron James Passes Michael Jordan For Most 30-Point Games As Lakers Beat Hawks
01/04/2025 12:50 AM
The Los Angeles Lakers were back in action on Friday night, hosting the Atlanta Hawks in the second night of a back-to-back.
The Lakers got Anthony Davis back in the lineup after a one-game absence and were looking to avenge their loss in Atlanta a few weeks ago. Ultimately, they were able to do exactly that, coming away with a 119-102 victory to stay undefeated in 2025 and improve their record to 20-14.
Davis did not miss a beat as he began the game with a dunk before an Austin Reaves bucket put the Lakers up 4-0. That was immediately met with an 11-2 Hawks run to give them an early lead though.
Another Laker run ensued from there with LeBron James and Rui Hachimura both scoring inside with ease to regain the lead. The Lakers were dominating inside as their first 20 points either came in the paint or at the free throw line. The Hawks combatted that with some outside shots, cutting the Lakers’ lead to 31-28 at the end of the first quarter.
Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht got going to begin the second quarter with eight points, although L.A. struggled keeping Jalen Johnson away from the basket.
Davis went back to work from there as the Hawks had no answer for him down low. Knecht also stayed hot with another triple and the Lakers went into the halftime locker room leading 65-57.
After a relatively quiet first half, Reaves scored five straight to begin the third quarter to put L.A. up double digits. The Lakers were struggling to take care of the ball though as Dyson Daniels was all over the passing lanes, creating transition opportunities for Atlanta to keep it close.
The Lakers were able to maintain a 10-point advantage despite a sloppy third quarter thanks to a pair of triples by Dorian Finney-Smith, heading into the fourth with a 96-86 lead.
James started to make his presence in the fourth with a pair of crafty buckets, forcing a Hawks timeout. He then buried a triple out of that timeout as things continued to tilt in the Lakers’ favor. After two more buckets by James, the Hawks had to call another timeout as the 40-year-old was taking over.
After tying Michael Jordan for the most 30-point games in NBA history on Thursday night, LeBron surpassed him in this one.
Between James’ flurry and the Lakers continuing to make shots down the stretch, they closed the game out without any issues.
What’s next for the Lakers
The Lakers now head out on the road for a two-game Texas trip, taking on the Houston Rockets on Sunday and then the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.
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