LeBron sparks Lakers with 4th-quarter rally over Clippers

LeBron James scored 34 points, including 19 in the fourth, as the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated a 21-point deficit in the final frame to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers 116-112.

James, who shot 13-of-21 from the field and 7-of-12 from deep, outscored the Clippers himself 19-16 in the fourth quarter. He also finished with eight assists, six rebounds, and two blocks while making just one trip to the line.

"The game is not ever over until it's double zeroes, which you see up there" James said during an on-court postgame interview on ESPN. "So we just kept fighting, kept getting defensive stops, made some shots."

The 39-year-old was 5-of-8 from distance in the final quarter, beginning with a triple less than a minute in to cut Tyronn Lue's squad's advantage to 15. Following a pair of free throws by Russell, James then scored 16 of his team's next 19 points to trim the deficit to just two points before a three from Rui Hachimura gave Darvin Ham's side its first lead since the Lakers led 29-28 late in the first.

All five Lakers starters scored in double digits. Anthony Davis contributed 20 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and two steals. Guard D'Angelo Russell added 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including a late catch-and-shoot three from the corner set up by a pinpoint pass from James with the shot clock expiring.

The 21-point swing marks the Lakers' largest comeback of the season, overtaking the 19-point, first-quarter deficit they erased on Nov. 2, which was also against the Clippers.

Wednesday's contest was also the final regular-season game of the year between both Crypto.com Arena-residing franchises. The Clippers are set to move to their brand-new arena, the Intuit Dome, beginning in the 2024-25 campaign.