LeBron James leads Lakers past Cavaliers as Big Three bounce back

LOS ANGELES — So that’s however it’s expected to work.

Two days aft a roadworthy nonaccomplishment to the Oklahoma City Thunder that shook religion successful the Lakers’ Big Three, LeBron James returned to the tribunal and recouped overmuch of it successful a 113-101 triumph implicit the Cleveland Cavaliers connected Friday nighttime astatine Staples Center, leveling their grounds astatine 3-3.

James isn’t 1 to willingly miss matchups with his hometown team, against whom helium has a 17-1 record. He scored a team-best 26 points with 8 assists – the champion showing of the Lakers’ prima trio. But Russell Westbrook (19 points, six rebounds, 5 assists) besides had a large bounce back, and Anthony Davis made cardinal plays astatine the decorativeness arsenic the ace squad enactment unneurotic its astir cohesive show of the young season.

Perhaps the champion showing was from the Lakers’ much-maligned defense. After surrendering astatine slightest 115 points successful each of the archetypal 5 games, they held the Cavs to 16 points successful the decisive 4th quarter.

Less than 2 hours anterior to tip-off, it wasn’t adjacent wide if James would play. He had missed 2 games aft rolling his close ankle successful a collision against Memphis connected Sunday night. Early successful his latest start, the rust was apparent, arsenic the 36-year-old changeable abbreviated from 3-point scope passim the nighttime (1 for 10).

But James was tip-top elsewhere, including driving to the hoop connected the ankle successful question. Late successful the game, helium slowed down possessions and ran precise pick-and-rolls with Davis, who shook disconnected his ain dilatory commencement to decorativeness with 15 points, 9 rebounds and 3 large blocked shots – a fourth-quarter denial of Lauri Markkanen signaled that the enactment was officially on.

There was a marked uptick successful effort down the bench. Carmelo Anthony inactive struggled connected defense, but helium nailed 3-pointers (6 for 8, 24 points) erstwhile helium got catch-and-shoot looks.

Rookie Austin Reaves clawed his mode to 7 points and a brace of leap balls. Avery Bradley provided immoderate antiaircraft spark, and aft lottery prime Evan Mobley looked comfy aboriginal connected offense, Dwight Howard guarded the Cleveland rookie for cardinal stretches to bounds his impact.

Howard deed a 3-pointer astatine the extremity that sent the assemblage into a frenzy, delivering immoderate bully vibes aft 2 days spent stewing implicit a historical 26-point illness successful Oklahoma City.

Early on, the Lakers were again their ain worst enemies, coughing up 10 turnovers with a cringe-worthy assortment of errant passes and mishandled balls. While Westbrook has been nether the astir scrutiny for his shot information – helium started the nighttime with a league-high 30 turnovers – it was a radical effort with six Lakers with turnovers.

It didn’t wounded the Lakers arsenic overmuch arsenic it could have: Cleveland’s biggest first-half pb was lone 11 points, and they scored 14 points disconnected those giveaways. It was not a large capable spread that James couldn’t excavation the Lakers retired of it: He scored six points successful the past 2:41 to necktie the people by halftime, the past of which was a dunk connected a pouch walk from Westbrook.

After his ignominious quadruple-double (10 turnovers) against the Thunder, Westbrook gained steam and absorption arsenic the crippled wore on. His champion series was astatine the extremity of the 3rd quarter, erstwhile the Lakers scored 17 points successful the past 4 minutes: During that run, Westbrook had a brace of layups and a brace of assists.

Throughout the game, the assemblage had been filling dormant moments with “LET’S GO LA-KERS!” chants, attempting to animate the location team. When helium dished to Anthony for the go-ahead 3-pointer successful the 3rd quarter, putting the Lakers ahead, 88-85, Westbrook raised his hands, gesturing for them to amp up the volume.

The Lakers proceed the homestand connected Sunday and Tuesday with back-to-back games against the Houston Rockets.

More to travel connected this story.