LeBron Drops 56 as Lakers Score Upset of Warriors

• The Los Angeles Lakers upset the Golden State Warriors 124-116 as +5.5 point underdogs on Saturday night.
• LeBron James scored 56 points is his highest-scoring game since coming over to Los Angeles.
• The Lakers snapped a four-game losing streak but are still hanging on to the 9th spot in the Western Conference team standings.

When Aaron Donald showed up at Staples Center, LeBron James scored 40 points and led the Lakers to a 106-101 come-from-behind win against the Utah Jazz as +4.5 point betting underdogs. After that game, the Lakers lost four in a row.

Enter Saturday night, and it was Matthew Stafford’s turn to show up in a Lakers’ home game. Of course, King James had to put on a show for the L.A. Rams’ starting QB too. Well, LeBron did just that and he led the Lakers to a 124-116 win over the Golden State Warriors as +5.5 point spread betting favorites:

LeBron James was Unreal

LeBron James finished with 56 points and 10 rebounds on 19-31 shooting, including 6-11 from behind the three-point arc. James finished with 26 at the half and easily went over his game points prop of 29.5 points in the third quarter and ended the period with already 40. With the Lakers chasing the Warriors, Jams continued to pour in the points in the final period as the Lakers won their first game since beating the Jazz five games ago.

James’ 56 points are the third-most he’s scored in his 19-year NBA career and his career-high as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. It is also the second-most points scored by a player in NBA history after turning 35 years old, behind only Kobe Bryant’s iconic 60-point farewell game. He also joins Bryant, Michael Jordan, and Jamal Crawford as the fourth 37-year old 50-point scorer in NBA history.

At the age of 37, James is the oldest player in NBA history to post a 55 points and 10 rebounds game. He is also the first Laker since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000 to post a 55 points and 10 rebounds game. King James is also the first player in NBA history to have a 50-point game before turning 21 and after turning 35.

Current Lakers’ Odds

Despite the win over the Warriors, the Lakers championship odds remain at +4000 after opening the season with a +350 at the best NBA betting sites. But perhaps more than winning the title, the main goal for the Lakers right now is making the playoffs as they have been given a -250 chance of missing the playoffs.

Los Angeles is 28-35 SU right now and in the 9th spot in the Western Conference, just one game ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans who are 10th and three games up on the 11th seeded Portland Trail Blazers. If Los Angeles can keep this spot until the end of the regular season, they will need to beat the 10th seeded Pelicans and pick up a win over the loser of the 1st play-in game between the 7th seeded Timberwolves and L.A. Clippers just to make the playoffs.

Getting to the play-in tournament won’t be a walk in the park for the Lakers either. The Lake Show has the second-toughest remaining schedule in the entire NBA with their final 19 opponents having a combined winning percentage of .538. If they get to the play-in and somehow win two games to make the playoffs, their prize would be a first-round date with the best team in the NBA right now in the Phoenix Suns. Nothing is going to be easy for the Lakers moving forward. But nothing is impossible if LeBron James continues to defy Father Time. Just ask the Rams to send one player in every Lakers game this season.