Wednesday 26 December 2018 06:41, UK
LeBron James left early with a groin injury as the Los Angeles Lakers thrashed the Golden State Warriors 127-101 at Oracle Arena.
Kyle Kuzma scored 19 points as the Lakers ended a seven-game losing streak against the defnding NBA champions on Tuesday night.
Ivica Zubac had 18 points and 11 rebounds and James had 17 points and 13 rebounds before leaving the game with 7:51 left in the third quarter and the Lakers leading 71-57.
Rajon Rondo had 15 points and 10 assists off the bench, Brandon Ingram scored 14 points, Josh Hart had 12 points and fellow reserve Lance Stephenson finished with 11 points for the Lakers.
Andre Iguodala scored a season-high 23 points, Kevin Durant had 21 points and Stephen Curry finished with 15 points for Golden State.
The Lakers had lost 11 in a row at Golden State.
The Lakers scored the first four points of the third quarter to take their biggest lead at 69-50 and were still well ahead when James left the game with the groin injury.
The Warriors used an 8-0 run to pull as close as 76-73 on a basket by Durant with 3:22 left in the third quarter, but the Lakers scored the final five points of the quarter to move back ahead by nine points entering the fourth.
Rondo and Zubac made baskets to start the fourth to move the lead into double figures at 95-82, and the Lakers led by as much as 18 with 7:35 left.
The Lakers ended the first quarter on a 12-2 run to take a 32-25 lead entering the second.
The Warriors scored the first four points of the second quarter to pull within three, but the Lakers took a 46-35 lead on a three-pointer from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope with 7:07 left in the second quarter.
Los Angeles moved out to its biggest lead of the half at 60-45 on a slam dunk by James with 1:59 left in the first half and took a 65-50 lead into the break.
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