Cavaliers spoil LeBron’s first game since turning 40
LOS ANGELES—Jarrett Allen scored a season-high 27 points, Donovan Mitchell added 26 and the Cleveland Cavaliers won their eighth straight, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 122-110 on Wednesday night and spoiling LeBron James’ first game after turning 40.
James, who celebrated his birthday on Monday, scored 23 points as he became the first player in NBA history to appear in a game in his teens and 40s. Coincidentally, the milestone game came against the team that drafted him first overall in 2003 and where he spent 12 seasons in two stints.
Starting the 2025 on top
The Akron, Ohio, native helped lead the Cavaliers to their first NBA championship in 2016.
Evan Mobley added 20 points for Cleveland, which enters the new year with an NBA-best 29-4 record, including a 9-0 against the Western Conference.
Austin Reaves had a season-high 35 points with 10 assists and nine rebounds for the Lakers. Anthony Davis added 28 points and 13 rebounds.
Los Angeles goes into 2025 with an 18-14 mark, seventh in the Western Conference.
Cleveland led, 96-80, less than three minutes into the fourth quarter before Los Angeles started to rally. The Lakers got within 112-107 before the Cavaliers closed the game on a 10-3 run. Allen’s dunk with 1:58 remaining gave Cleveland a 116-107 advantage, putting it out of reach.
The Cavaliers made 18 three-pointers, the seventh straight game they have had at least that many from beyond the arc as Cleveland wraps up its road trip in Dallas on Friday, while the Lakers host Portland on Thursday.
