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Lakers beat Warriors 115-113 as AD leaves game with ankle sprain

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The 53rd matchup between LeBron James and Stephen Curry was the latest chapter in their storied rivalry, with James’ Los Angeles Lakers defeating Curry’s Golden State Warriors 115-113 in a classic Christmas Day matchup Wednesday.

Without leading scorer Anthony Davis and amid a Curry 3-point flurry, the Lakers leaned on Austin Reaves, whose game-winning layup with 1.0 seconds left capped off his first triple-double of the season (26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists) and the third of his career. He stepped up in a big way after Davis exited the game midway through the first quarter after suffering a left ankle sprain.

The Lakers had already entered the game shorthanded, with leading bench scorer D’Angelo Russell ruled out 90 minutes before tip-off due to a left thumb sprain he suffered in the previous game against the Detroit Pistons. They were also without half of their frontcourt: backup wing Jarred Vanderbilt and backup centers Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood remain out for the foreseeable future. Then they lost Davis, their best player and defensive fulcrum.

When retreating for a defensive rebound, Davis’ left ankle caved as he fell to the ground in immediate pain. He tried to play through the injury but was eventually subbed out and gingerly walked back to the locker room at the 4:48 mark of the first quarter. Davis said he’d “be OK” and will play against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, according to ESPN.

Davis finished the game with 0 points on 0-for-3 shooting, two rebounds and one steal in seven minutes. He has been dealing with left plantar fasciitis, which has limited his mobility since the second week of the season. This was the fourth time Davis went back to the locker room during a game due to an injury and the second time he’s been ruled out.

James led the Lakers with 31 points and 10 assists in a spirited performance. He mashed his way into the paint, playing bullyball against a Warriors frontline he revels in attacking. He dissected Golden State’s defense in the post from all over the floor, finding cutters and shooters for layups and 3s. He was active and engaged defensively, switching onto Curry and Golden State’s perimeter weapons and covering significant ground sideline to sideline.

Rui Hachimura had 18 points, connecting on five 3-pointers and making a key and-1 late. He ended up playing a ton of center as the Lakers out-executed the Warriors at their own game. The Lakers took care of the ball, only turning it over nine times, and largely kept up with the Warriors behind the arc. They made 15 3-pointers to Golden State’s 18.

More notably, Max Christie added 16 points and hounded Curry the best he could, though Curry often got the better end of the matchup with 38 points on 14-for-24 shooting. Dalton Knecht broke out of his month-long slump with 13 points, his first time reaching double figures since Dec. 6 in Atlanta.

After the Warriors used a 13-4 run to tie the game at 113-113, the Lakers had Reaves isolate Andrew Wiggins on the left wing and beat him to the rim for a scooping layup to seal the victory. Golden State, out of timeouts, wasn’t able to get a shot up before time expired.

With the win, the Lakers improved to 17-13 at the 30-game mark. This is the point in the season at which Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said he was going to evaluate the roster back when he spoke at media day. Los Angeles is currently tied for sixth in the Western Conference.