During the night from Friday to Saturday, the Los Angeles Lakers won against the Phoenix Suns (119-122). A gala meeting in which LeBron James (32 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists) and Kevin Durant (38 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists) went blow for blow.
Respectively aged 38 and 35, the two NBA superstars have entered a very closed circle of the Great League thanks to their performances. Explanations.
A duel of titans. Among the best scorers in the NBA for many years, LeBron James and Kevin Durant engaged in a real fight last night. While Lakers and Suns faced each other at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, “King James” and “KD” both produced an outstanding performance.
If the Los Angeles Lakers finally won (119-122), it was the Phoenix Suns winger who finished as the top scorer of this meeting with 38 points scored, 13 out of 27 shooting.
However, Kevin Durant’s performance was not enough against that of LeBron James, author of 32 points (11 out of 17 shooting), but also 11 rebounds and 6 assists. Rivals, scorers, leaders, the two superstars both joined a very closed circle in the NBA last night.
NBA : Une star de l’équipe de France s’enflamme pour Wembanyama https://t.co/qzlxvk1AIm pic.twitter.com/D4JYOUCBKI
— le10sport (@le10sport) November 10, 2023
LeBron James and Kevin Durant engaged in an anthology duel
As specified by journalist Florian Benfaïd, this LeBron James-Kevin Durant duel is only the 5th in NBA history where two opponents over 35 have reached 30 points. Now aged 38 and 35, the two players clearly do not seem to be in decline, quite the contrary.
Champion in 2020, LeBron James is still chasing a fifth title in the Great League, while Kevin Durant hopes to be able to rub shoulders with the summits of the Western Conference with the Phoenix Suns, his fourth career franchise.
LeBron James and Kevin Durant joined legends
Thus, numbers 23 and 35 joined several NBA legends with more than 30 points scored in a game at least 35 years old. In 2019, Jamal Crawford (Phoenix Suns) and Dirk Nowitzki both achieved this performance, as did the illustrious Michael Jordan (Washington Wizards) and Karl Malone (Utah Jazz) in 2001.
Symbol of longevity within the NBA, Karl Malone had repeated against the serial shooter Reggie Miller (Indiana Pacers) also in 2001. Further in the history of the Great League, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Los Angeles Lakers) and Dan Issel (Nuggets of Denver) had also achieved this feat in 1984.
