Jarrett Allen scored a season-high 27 points, Donovan Mitchell added 26, and the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 122-110 on Wednesday night, marking their eighth consecutive victory. Cleveland, boasting an NBA-best 29-4 record, showcased their dominance with another strong performance, including 20 points from Evan Mobley and a season-high 14 assists from Darius Garland.
The game was notable for LeBron James, who scored 23 points in his first appearance since turning 40, making him the first player in NBA history to play games as a teenager and in his 40s. James, who led Cleveland to its only NBA championship in 2016, faced his former team on a night when the Cavaliers solidified their perfect 9-0 record against Western Conference opponents this season.
Austin Reaves had a standout game for the Lakers with a season-high 35 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds, while Anthony Davis contributed 28 points and 13 rebounds. However, Los Angeles couldn’t complete a comeback after trailing by as many as 16 in the fourth quarter.
Cleveland led 96-80 early in the final period before the Lakers mounted a rally, cutting the deficit to 112-107. The Cavaliers responded with a decisive 10-3 run, punctuated by Allen’s thunderous dunk with 1:58 remaining to extend the lead to 116-107, effectively sealing the victory.
The Cavaliers’ long-range shooting continued to shine as they drained 18 three-pointers, marking the seventh consecutive game with at least that many. For the Lakers, new additions Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton made their debuts following a trade with Brooklyn earlier in the week, contributing modestly with eight combined points.
Los Angeles now holds an 18-14 record, sitting seventh in the Western Conference as they look to regroup heading into the new year. Let’s grade the Lakers players for the final time in 2024.
Austin Reaves: A+
Stats: 35 PTS, 9 REB, 10 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 4 TO, 2 PF, 11-20 FG, 1-4 3PT, 12-13 FT, -3, 38 MIN
Austin Reaves delivered a near triple-double with 35 points, 10 assists, and 9 rebounds, showcasing his versatility. His ability to get to the line (12-of-13 FT) was key, although his 1-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc and 4 turnovers slightly marred an otherwise stellar performance.
Anthony Davis: A
Stats: 28 PTS, 13 REB, 4 AST, 3 STL, 2 BLK, 1 TO, 2 PF, 12-23 FG, 2-4 3PT, 2-2 FT, -6, 37 MIN
Davis was dominant in the paint, scoring 28 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. He contributed defensively with 3 steals and 2 blocks. His efficiency (12-of-23 FG, 2-of-4 3PT) and low turnover count (1) were highlights, though his -6 plus/minus reflects the team’s struggles during his minutes.
LeBron James: B+
Stats: 23 PTS, 4 REB, 7 AST, 0 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO, 1 PF, 9-17 FG, 3-6 3PT, 2-2 FT, -11, 34 MIN
LeBron, in his first game as a 40-year-old, scored 23 points and added 7 assists. He shot efficiently (9-of-17 FG, 3-of-6 3PT) but had a modest impact on the boards (4 rebounds) and a -11 plus/minus, signaling his challenges defensively and the team’s struggles in key stretches.
Rui Hachimura: C
Stats: 7 PTS, 5 REB, 0 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 1 PF, 3-10 FG, 0-3 3PT, 1-2 FT, -17, 30 MIN
Rui Hachimura struggled offensively, scoring just 7 points on 3-of-10 shooting, including 0-of-3 from deep. He grabbed 5 rebounds but was a -17 in 30 minutes, reflecting his lack of defensive impact.
Shake Milton: C
Stats: 6 PTS, 2 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 1 PF, 2-4 FG, 2-4 3PT, 0-0 FT, -9, 10 MIN
In his Lakers debut, Shake Milton contributed 6 points on 2-of-4 shooting from three in just 10 minutes. While his time was limited, his -9 plus/minus indicates the team didn’t gain much ground during his stint.
Max Christie: C
Stats: 5 PTS, 1 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 3 PF, 2-6 FG, 1-5 3PT, 0-0 FT, -17, 28 MIN
Max Christie added 5 points and 2 assists but shot 2-of-6 from the field, including 1-of-5 from deep. His -17 plus/minus reflected his limited defensive impact in 28 minutes, and the youngster could not impact the game defensively as much as he wanted to.
Dalton Knecht: C
Stats: 4 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 0 PF, 2-8 FG, 0-5 3PT, 0-0 FT, -3, 22 MIN
Knecht scored 4 points but struggled mightily with efficiency, shooting 2-of-8 from the field and 0-of-5 from three. He added 3 rebounds but didn’t provide the spark the Lakers needed offensively.
Dorian Finney-Smith: C
Stats: 2 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 2 PF, 1-4 FG, 0-2 3PT, 0-0 FT, +7, 20 MIN
Another new addition, Dorian Finney-Smith had 2 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists in 20 minutes. His +7 plus/minus was the only positive among Lakers players, but his limited scoring hurt the team. Lakers fans will expect a little more from Finney-Smith going forward for the new year.
Cam Reddish: C
Stats: 0 PTS, 4 REB, 0 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 0 PF, 0-3 FG, 0-2 3PT, 0-0 FT, -1, 19 MIN
Reddish failed to score in 19 minutes, missing all three of his shots. He added 4 rebounds and 1 steal but had minimal impact overall (-1 plus/minus).
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