LeBron James’ 10 best performances of the season
2. Leading a much-needed victory over the Clippers (03/08/20)
Given the collision course both teams were headed towards in a potential Western Conference Finals battle, that the Clippers had claimed their first two meetings against the Lakers didn’t bode well for the purple and gold’s title hopes.
It was as if the Lakers had to emerge victorious when the two teams met on March 8 to foster a wide-held belief in their ability to make a run to the championship.
On a smaller level, this was the perfect platform for James to ward off those who believed Kawhi Leonard had usurped him as the best player in the world.
The Lakers found themselves down six at halftime but used a 36-28 third-quarter margin to head into the fourth quarter up four. After a quiet third quarter in which he didn’t even attempt a shot, LeBron made sure to leave his fingerprints all over the entirety of the final frame.
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He scored 12 points with three rebounds, three assists and no turnovers, making sure he could get wherever he wanted by ensuring Kawhi or Paul George couldn’t dictate otherwise.
Success or failure in the regular season doesn’t guarantee anything in the playoffs, but it does foster confidence that can come into play.
After Leonard got the upper hand in the previous two games, James fought back in this one with 28 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and only two turnovers.
More importantly, the anticipation for a playoff series grew larger thanks in large part to a welcoming performance from LeBron James to inspire such.