National Basketball Association

LeBron James' epic show vs. Clippers proves you can't count out the Lakers

Updated Feb. 29, 2024 9:04 a.m. ET

In a sense, it's hard to be wowed by LeBron James.

He has been so great for so long that it's easy to take him for granted. Thirty-point performances? They hardly move the needle. Superhuman dunks? We're almost numb to them at this point.

But what happened on Wednesday felt different.

James led the Lakers to a 21-point fourth-quarter comeback in their 116-112 win over the LA Clippers, the biggest fourth-quarter comeback of his career.

[LeBron outscores Clippers in fourth quarter as Lakers overcome 21-point deficit]

Sure, James accomplishes "firsts" all the time. He's averaging 25 points in his 21st season, more than three times what any player at that stage of their career has averaged. And he's scored more points so far this season than all players in their 21st season combined.

But this was a first for him at any stage in his career. Here, he was being compared to himself. To still be able to put a team on his back at age 39 and charge through an army that outmans his is notable.

The way James took over the game was thrilling.

First, the backdrop. This was a nationally televised game against a Clippers team that's considered a championship contender. And it was the final game that the Lakers and Clippers will play as co-tenants of Crypto.com Arena before the Clippers move to Intuit Dome next season, unless they meet in the playoffs.

James embraced the moment, obliterating the Clippers' sizable advantage in whiplash form to put a purple and gold exclamation mark on the finale of the so-called Hallway Series.

James opened the fourth by scoring 17 points in 7 1/2 minutes on 6-for-7 shooting, including going 5-for-6 from beyond the arc to give the Lakers a 106-104 advantage with 4:36 left, marking a 23-point turnaround over that period.

"It's just a zone, and you can't really describe it," said James, who finished with 34 points, eight assists and six rebounds. "You wish you could stay in it forever, but obviously it checks out once the game ends. But during it, you don't feel anything. It's just like a superpower feel."

As the Clippers' defense scrambled to stop James, he scored or assisted on 11 of the Lakers' 13 field goals in the fourth, helping set up key shots for D'Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura.

James also took on the toughest defensive assignment in the second half, guarding Kawhi Leonard just three days after facing up against Phoenix Suns' superstar Kevin Durant. James held Leonard to just six points in the fourth quarter, including hindering his attempt to tie the score with seven seconds left.

Even Anthony Davis was in awe.

"He is who he is," said Davis, who had 20 points, 12 rebounds, two steals and three blocks. "He's a phenomenal, phenomenal basketball player. He makes a ton of plays for our team. To witness it from the sideline tonight, it was definitely a fanboy moment."

James personally outscored the entire Clippers team in the fourth quarter, 19-16. After making a 26-foot 3-pointer with just under 7 minutes left, he shook his head and circled his index fingers on both sides of his face. The gesture refers to him playing out of his mind, meaning, even he had to take a moment to acknowledge the impressiveness of what was happening.

"He had to take the cape, tuck it under his seat on the bench, I guess," said Lakers coach Darvin Ham, alluding to him being a superhero. "It was time for him to whip it out. He definitely did that, put the cape on, and just got aggressive and got into a good rhythm."

The win was well-timed for the Lakers, who are in ninth place in the Western Conference heading into the stretch run. After losing two of their last three games following the All-Star break to Golden State and Phoenix, it seemed as though they were starting to freefall before James took over.

Performances like that make you realize you can't ever count out the Lakers. Not when James and Davis are healthy. Not when James is capable of playing as though he were in the prime of his career on any given night.

Does LeBron or Durant have a better shot at another ring?

When James is "on," he's simply still unstoppable, capable of even besting his own record books, which is no small feat considering he's widely considered one of the greatest players of all time.

After the win, as James and Davis did their special handshake, cameras caught James saying, "That's the feeling we used to have right there." Perhaps James was referring to when they won a championship together in 2020, or even when they reached the Western Conference Finals last year.

Now, amid another turbulent season, they're trying to ready themselves for another run.

And as James rides into the sunset of his career, he proved once again that he's capable of jolting us out of our stupor at any time. James is not only still great, he's still electrifying. He's able to turn back the hands of time. He's able to wake us up.

It's enough to give other teams pause.

And to make his own superstar teammate feel as though he were a kid, watching one of his idols on TV.

"Bron went into his little sicko mode and just ran off like 40 straight," Davis said.

Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.

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