Anthony Davis, LeBron James lead 4th-quarter charge as the Lakers hold off Philadelphia 101-94

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anthony Davis had 23 points and 19 rebounds, and D’Angelo Russell set the Lakers’ single-season 3-point record during Los Angeles’ 101-94 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night. the night.

LeBron James scored 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists as the Lakers snapped a seven-game losing streak in their matchups against the Sixers. Los Angeles had not beaten Philadelphia since March 3, 2020.

James scored 11 points and Davis added nine in the fourth quarter, using his size and toughness to overcome a valiant Philadelphia effort. Neither team led by double digits all night, and the Lakers committed 21 turnovers during their lowest performance since Jan. 3.

“Ugly, but we got the job done,” James said. “We defended (well) in the second half. They only had 18 (points) in the quarter. That’s a big deal when the offense was struggling like it was. … We turned the ball over too much and gave up too many easy baskets, but when we got to half court, we stepped up and made them take tough shots.”

Russell surpassed the 3-point record set by Nick Van Exel during the 1994-95 season when he made his 184th midway through the first quarter. Russell finished with 14 points and four 3-pointers for the Lakers, who held on for their seventh win in 11 games after having three days of rest. since beating Atlanta on Monday.

“It feels good to be part of one of these types of deals,” Russell said. “This franchise is one of the most prestigious, so I am more than grateful to have my name part of it. Continue to destroy it, if I can. Make it really hard for the next person.”

Los Angeles looked rusty offensively in its return, with poor shooting and Philly’s typical physical defense combining to make it a long night. Neither team led by more than seven points until James hit his first 3-pointer of the night with 2:11 left.

“I thought we played incredibly hard (and) executed the game plan,” Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said. “I just thought we couldn’t have enough offense to hold on. …As long as we do everything we can, I can live with it. “I’m having a hard time living with it now because I thought we played really hard and executed really well.”

Tyrese Maxey scored 22 of his 27 points in the second half for the Sixers, who have lost seven of 10 in the prolonged absence of MVP Joel Embiid. Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 19 points and Tobias Harris had 16 points and 13 rebounds in his return from a three-game absence with a sprained right ankle. Philadelphia is now 0-2 on its four-game West Coast trip.

“Joel’s absence has created opportunities for other guys,” Harris said. “But in the grand scheme of things, we also know that this group has to find ways to generate that type of offense. In tonight’s game, what hurt us was not being able to stop at the other end, because when we were out in transition, that was our best offense.”

Russell, who was drafted by the Lakers in 2015 and played alongside Kobe Bryant as a rookie, returned to Los Angeles in a trade last season. He has been a prolific perimeter scorer during his second stint with the Lakers, and on Monday he hit six 3-pointers to tie Van Exel’s record.

Spencer Dinwiddie scored 11 points with three 3-pointers in his highest-scoring performance since joining his hometown Lakers.

Los Angeles swingman Taurean Prince missed the game for personal reasons.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

Lakers: Host Indiana on Sunday night.

76ers: At LA Clippers on Sunday.

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NBA AP: https://apnews.com/NBA



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