LeBron James, Russell Westbrook Drop Triple-Doubles as Lakers End 5-Game Losing Streak; 'The King' Becomes 3rd Player to Reach 36,000 Career Points
Los Angeles Lakers' stars LeBron James and Russell Westbrook both dropped triple-doubles to end the five-game skid of the purple and gold squad with a 132-123 victory over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night.
According to NBC Sports, the 36-year-old NBA star, LeBron James, had 32 points, with 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his third triple-double so far this season.
Russell Westbrook registered 24 points, with 12 rebounds and 10 assists for his seventh triple-double of the season.
LeBron James, Russell Westbrook Dismantle Houston Rockets in their Home
The young Houston Rockets team stuck around for most of the night, but LeBron James took over in the final minutes of the action to give the Lakers a win after a winning drought and hand the Rockets their fifth consecutive loss.
The Houston Rockets went a point up courtesy of a layup by Jalen Green after "The King" was called for goaltending, putting the Rockets on top with 2 ½ minutes left.
However, James convinced the Lakers coaching staff to challenge the call of the game officials, and it favored the purple and gold squad as it was overturned.
Since the Lakers missed the presence of their star big man Anthony Davis, comeback star Carmelo Anthony made a 3-pointer a few seconds after to extend their lead to 120-116.
James, who had been criticized about his percentage in the charity stripe, added two free throws, and after that, his one-handed dunk after a turnover by Houston Rockets put the game to 124-116 with less than 90 seconds to go.
Despite not hitting any shot in the third period, LeBron James proved that he knew when to score when it mattered the most. The King took over in the final minutes on the road.
LeBron James Reaches 36,000-Point Mark
The latest performance of LeBron James was his 5th consecutive 30-point game this season. The King also became the player of the weekdays before his 37th birthday.
Furthermore, the LA Lakers star became just the third player in the history of the NBA to score more than 36,000 points during their 132-123 win over the young Rockets team. The King joined Hall of Famers and all-time scoring leaders Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar atop the list.
The closest active player to James is his teammate and co-member of the 2003 draft class Carmelo Anthony, who is currently the no. 9 on the list with 27,844 points.
Based on ESPN's Stats and Info, LeBron James is the youngest player to reach every round number milestone in points. The King started for the first time in his career as a center.
It was his 102nd career triple-double as he finished the game with 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists in 39 minutes.
The King also started at the five because his co-star Anthony Davis is out at least four weeks with a knee sprain. He would also be assessed a month after his injury to see his recovery.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Jess Smith
WATCH: Lebron & Russ ICE Rockets in Final Moments - From NBA
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