Lebron James Dominates in Los Angeles Lakers Win Over Houston Rockets

The Los Angeles Lakers are still a force to be reckoned with whenever Lebron James is on the court. The 18-time All Star had his best game of the year on Monday night, dropping a season-high 48 points in a 140-132 win over the Houston Rockets.

Season-high & the dub. pic.twitter.com/YJjNW1ofxN
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 17, 2023

James hit 16 of his 26 field goal attempts, including five of 10 from behind the arc. He also added eight rebounds and a team-leading nine assists. It was his highest-scoring effort since a 56-point explosion in a 124-116 win over the Golden State Warriors on March 5th, 2022.

Last night's win lifted the Lakers to 20-24 on the season, good for 13th in the Western Conference. They're in genuine danger of missing the play-in tournament, but James is hardly to blame: appearing in 34 of a possible 44 games, he's averaging 29.5 ppg, 6.9 apg, and 8.4 rpg.

If they're going to contend, the Lakers will need Anthony Davis to stay healthy over the back half of the season: the center has been sensational when available, averaging 29.5 ppg and 13.0 rpg with an exceptional .594 field goal percentage, but has missed 19 games.

The Lakers host the surprising 24-18 Sacramento Kings on Thursday.