LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James had 31 points. 10 assists and nine rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers emphatically snapped their three-game skid with a 141-116 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night.
Luka Doncic added 27 points and 12 assists for the Lakers, who jumped to a 32-point lead early in the second half and capably weathered the Hawks’ big late rally. Los Angeles has lost four straight games only once since acquiring Doncic nearly a year ago.
While playing the second game of his first back-to-back appearances during his unprecedented 23rd NBA season, James fell just shy of his first triple-double since last Feb. 1 in New York — a day better remembered for the Lakers’ seismic trade for Doncic later that night.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 26 points and CJ McCollum had 25 for the Hawks, who had won on the first two stops of their West Coast road trip.
Corey Kispert scored 19 points while thriving alongside McCollum in both players’ second game with Atlanta since being traded by Washington for Trae Young.
Jake LaRavia and Deandre Ayton scored 17 points apiece for the Lakers, who hit 19 3-pointers after going 8 for 36 from distance in their embarrassing loss at Sacramento on Monday.
Doncic, who played despite left groin soreness, hit 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions while leading the Lakers on a 17-0 run in the second quarter.
Los Angeles made nearly 62% of its shots while taking an 81-60 halftime lead with its highest-scoring half of the season. The Lakers blew it open with a 12-1 run after halftime, but Atlanta gradually trimmed its deficit to 11 points before LA pulled away for good.
Rui Hachimura scored seven points as a reserve on a minutes restriction in his return from a seven-game injury absence.
Kristaps Porzingis (Achilles tendon) and Zaccharie Risacher (knee) both haven’t played on the Hawks’ trip.
Up next
Hawks: At Portland on Thursday.
Lakers: Host Charlotte on Thursday.
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