LeBron James, Brandon Ingram, and the Los Angeles Lakers understood what was at stake as they came back from a 19-point deficit against the Houston Rockets.
One game under .500 at the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend, the Lakers were three games back of the Los Angeles Clippers for the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference.
With just 25 games remaining in the 2018-19 NBA season, the odds are certainly not in their favor, but they still have the best player in the league today.
As James activated his playoff-level intensity, he got off to a fairly slow start to his standards. With the Lakers committing seven turnovers in the first quarter and missing wide-open shots, they found themselves down by double-digits.
However, Brandon Ingram kept them within striking distance and finished with 27 points (8-of-16 from the field and 11-of-14 from the free-throw line) and 13 rebounds.
And when it mattered the most in the fourth quarter, James kept his word. He finished with 29 points (11-of-23 from the field), 11 rebounds, and 6 assists.
The Lakers are now 2.5 games back of the Clippers as they prepare for a two-game road trip against the New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies.
Reminder: Vivid Seats is the Official Ticket Reseller of LakersNation.com. New Customers use “LAKERSNATION” (all CAPS) in the Vivid Seats App on your phone and get 10% off any Lakers home game ticket order for the remainder of the season.