December 26th 2024.
On Christmas Day in San Francisco, two NBA legends, Steph Curry and LeBron James, put on a show that reminded fans that their careers won't last forever. With both players trading buckets, it was Curry who nearly carried his team on his back, scoring the Warriors' last eight points. With only 12.2 seconds left in the game, Curry nailed a high-arcing corner 3-pointer over James' defense, bringing the Lakers' lead to a slim 111-110. And just six seconds later, he tied the game with another impressive trey off a perfectly executed play by Steve Kerr.
But it was the Lakers' Austin Reaves who stole the spotlight, scoring a game-winning basket with only seconds left. Reaves finished the game with an impressive stat line of 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, stepping up in the absence of Anthony Davis. For Warriors fans, Reaves was the Grinch who stole Christmas, but for the Lakers, he was their Santa Claus.
In the end, it was Reaves who lifted the Lakers to a 115-113 victory over the Warriors, handing Golden State their 11th loss in their last 14 games. Curry, who finished with a personal best of 38 points on Christmas Day, including eight 3-pointers, and James, who poured in 31 points, both played like the all-time legends that they are.
The final two minutes of the first half were reminiscent of the past 15 years of NBA games, with two iconic players trading buckets. Curry put on a flurry of impressive shots, and James did his best to match him. After Curry's finger roll, James blew past Brandin Podziemski for a layup. But Curry wasn't done yet, nailing a rainbow 3-pointer from 28 feet and then another trey with a lethal step-back move to leave Christie behind. He even added a flashy no-look pass to set up a dunk for Jackson-Davis on a fast break.
Despite having two of his worst games in recent memory, Curry showed that he can still rise to the occasion when the lights are brightest. And as expected, James also elevated his game, attacking mismatches and driving to the basket relentlessly. While he has become more of a 3-point shooter in recent years, James still took the majority of his shots from inside the lane, showing that he can still dominate like he did in the 2016 Finals.
With a depleted roster, James controlled each possession with the confidence and skill of a player who has been in the league for over two decades. Even though he may not be the same unstoppable force he once was, no one wants to be in the way of James on a fast break. Meanwhile, Curry struggled to find his rhythm in the first half but returned to his regular substitution pattern in the second half, which seemed to help him get going quicker.
But it was Reaves who ultimately made the difference, as he helped lead the Lakers on an 11-2 run, putting them up by nine points. The Warriors, however, stayed steady, with Curry leading the charge. When he checked out with just under seven minutes left in the game, the Warriors were down by seven, but the bench managed to cut that deficit to three by the time Curry returned.
But Reaves had other plans, hitting a 3-pointer and a floater to put the Lakers back up by eight. Curry responded with his sixth 3-pointer of the game, but James came right back with a deep pull-up jumper of his own. Both players crossed the 30-point mark and then traded assists, with James setting up Max Christie for a basket and Curry finding Jonathan Kuminga for a score.
In a crucial moment, James swatted away Andrew Wiggins' layup attempt, only for the ball to fall into the hands of Dennis Schroder, who drained a 3-pointer. Curry then raced down the court for a reverse layup, bringing the Warriors within two points with less than 26 seconds left. And just when it seemed like Curry had saved Christmas, Reaves swooped in for the game-winning basket, beating Wiggins to the hoop for an easy finish.
Despite the best efforts of two of the greatest players in the game, it was Reaves, a secondary player, who stepped up and seized the moment, delivering a win for the Lakers in a game where James and Curry shined. And for the Warriors, who were facing a Lakers team without their second-best player and no true centers, it was a disappointing loss that left them feeling like they had received a lump of coal on Christmas Day.
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