Playing in his 14th career game on Christmas Day, LeBron James was in the process of leading the Los Angles Lakers over the Golden State Warriors before suffering a strained groin in the third quarter.
James didn’t return but the Lakers managed to hang on for a 127-101 victory. Golden State uncharacteristically didn’t shoot well from deep in the first half, which allowed L.A. to build a double-digit lead. A 12-2 run to close the first quarter put them ahead 32-25.
While the Warriors were in the midst of missing 12 consecutive 3-pointers, a James fadeaway extended the Lakers’ lead to 15 points.