After a disappointing first part of the season, LeBron James' teammates are trying to move up the rankings which would allow them to qualify for the play-offs in extremis.

Current 12th in the Western Conference, the LA franchise is still far from the mark, but it snatched an unexpected third victory in a row on Sunday.

Dropped in the first period, the Lakers feared the worst in the third quarter, when James twisted his right ankle.

The best scorer in history, however, gritted his teeth, before registering the three-point shot allowing the Californians to equalize at the start of the fourth quarter.

"Never discouraged"

In total, "King" James scored 26 points, just behind his teammate Anthony Davis, author of a brilliant double-double (30 pts, 15 rebounds).

On defense, Jarred Vanderbilt stood out with 17 rebounds and four steals.

All while managing to contain Dallas star Luka Doncic, who died after a hot start (26 pts including 14 in the first quarter).

With 21 points and 11 rebounds, Kyrie Irving also dropped off late in the game.

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic holds his head in his hands during an NBA game against the LA Lakers on February 26, 2023 in Dallas © Ron Jenkins / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

"There were some tough, depressing moments in that first half as they solidified their lead. But the guys never got discouraged. They had that look of frustration, by no means resignation," said commented Lakers coach Darvin Ham.

After this 29th victory of the season in 61 games, here is LA on the hunt for a balance sheet: after the Pelicans, the Warriors and the Mavericks, it is the Memphis Grizzlies that will have to be defeated on Tuesday.

The biggest individual performance of the day remains that of Damian Lillard, with Portland, who broke his personal best by scoring 71 points against the Houston Rockets, notably emulating Donovan Mitchell's performance earlier this season against Chicago.

In NBA history, only three players have done better than the Trail Blazers star: Wilt Chamberlain (high 100 points), Kobe Bryant (81) and David Thompson (73).

Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers during an NBA game against the Bulls on February 4, 2023 in Chicago © Michael Reaves / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/Archives

The Bucks' 14th

In today's main poster, the Milwaukee Bucks got the better of the Phoenix Suns, bringing their winning streak to fourteen, despite the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Without the "Greek freak", it was Jrue Holiday who shone, scoring 33 points and stealing a crucial ball from Devin Booker.

His coach, Mike Budenholzer, has also praised his defensive contribution.

"His hands are phenomenal, his competitive spirit is at a very, very high level, and he has a natural knack for deflecting or stealing balls at key moments, and that's what winners do," he said. he exclaimed.

The last quarter between the 2021 finalists was particularly intense, with the Bucks erasing a seven-point deficit with six minutes from the buzzer, until taking the lead for good with 28.4 seconds remaining thanks to Brook Lopez (22 points).

Thanks to this success, Milwaukee (2nd) maintains pressure on the leader of the Eastern Conference, Boston.

In the West, Phoenix remains 4th, far behind Denver, which won its 43rd success in 62 games on Sunday at the expense of the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Nuggets, however, had to go through an extension (134-124), and once again relied on Nikola Jokic, author of a triple-double (40 pts, 17 rebounds, 10 assists).

© 2023 AFP