Lakers

LeBron James scored a season-high 56 points and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors 124-116 on Saturday night to snap a four-game losing ...

He did not score in 16 minutes … Lakers G Talen Horton Tucker had two points in 18 minutes after not playing against the Clippers on Thursday because of a sprained left ankle. “Tonight, he forced his will and had his hands on the game at all levels. It was really big, especially tonight in games like this where we needed to win.” Golden State ran over Los Angeles with 42 points in the second quarter to take a 67-62 halftime lead. It was his third-most points in a regular-season game and 13th time he has had at least 50. James then threw down a thunderous alley-oop from Monk, who stole the inbound pass after a Los Angeles turnover.

Appearing on the Lakers-Warriors pregame show, Johnson said the Westbrook trade "could go down as the worst trade in Laker history." Johnson added an "if we don ...

That trade was a mess when it happened, it's still a mess now, and it'll be a mess however this season ends for the Lakers. It will just be a team winning in spite of a horrible trade because they have the greatest player in history and Davis got healthy in the nick of time. The problem with the Westbrook trade isn't just that Westbrook has been bad, it's what he cost to acquire. Even if the Lakers somehow get out of the play-in and into the first round, it won't make the trade any better. Westbrook, to be honest, isn't the issue. In the end, the Lakers could've gone either route -- keep Kuzma and KCP or trade for Hield, and they would've been better than they are with Westbrook. Probably significantly. LeBron, Davis, Rob Pelinka, Magic, all these guys still want to think of Westbrook as the player he used to be, as if he can just morph back into an MVP because he feels like it. "You man, you know there were expectations when you called LeBron James and Anthony Davis and said you wanted to be a Laker," Johnson said. If, as an NBA front office, you can't see that and decide to go all-in on him anyway, you're the issue. Appearing on the Lakers-Warriors pregame show, Johnson said the Westbrook trade "could go down as the worst trade in Laker history." It's a long list that everyone except the Lakers could've made the second the trade went down. Everyone knows the Russell Westbrook trade has been a disaster for the Lakers. There's no use in going over all the reasons why.

LeBron James produced a 56-point masterpiece as the Los Angeles Lakers snapped their four-game losing streak with a thrilling 124-116 win over the Golden ...

"He leads us with his consistent demeanor, trying to get better every day," Vogel said. James hopes the win can act as a catalyst for the Lakers' troubled season. "For us to get a win like this in front of our home fans –- they deserve it. "We've got a two-game road trip coming up so let's see what we can do." "We needed this win for sure. "Just desperation," he said.

The Lakers snapped their four-game losing streak and took down the Warriors 124-116.

Next up, it was the Warriors Johnathan Kuminga (18 pts, 5 reb) from the arc, then AR15 with the counter, and finally Steph Curry (30 pts, 4 reb) on the other end of the floor to tie the game at 108. Yes, Austin was also a part of the lights-out program that ensued in the fourth. And at 6’ 5”, a menace in the paint. There is a Laker who has been consistently noteworthy on defense, a rookie in fact — Austin. AR15 was unapologetic on the floor. King James scored 26 points by halftime, capped by a triple, and he notched 40 points heading into the fourth. The Lakers snapped their four-game losing streak and took down the Warriors 124-116.

LeBron James scored a season-high 56 points Saturday night in the Lakers' 124-116 win over Golden State. Here are the best photos from the game.

The Lakers’ LeBron James, left, and Anthony Davis share a laugh while sitting on the bench during the victory over the Warriors. The Lakers’ LeBron James and the Warriors’ Stephen Curry embrace after the game. A different angle of Lakers forward LeBron James throwing down his reverse dunk against the Warriors. The Lakers’ LeBron James drives against the Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins. Lakers forward LeBron James is all smiles after making a three-pointer as he passes Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and his wife, Kelly, along the sideline. LeBron James scored a season-high 56 points Saturday night in the Lakers’ 124-116 victory over Golden State. It was also his highest point total as a Laker. He became the fourth player age 37 or older to score at least 50 points in an NBA game.

According to some sources, there is no way that Russell Westbrook ends up with the Lakers next season.

And judging by how they approached the trade deadline, that might be very accurate. But at this point in the season, the validity of that excuse has long passed. The idea was there, but the execution of bringing Russ over to mix in with Anthony Davis and LeBron James hasn't worked out.