LeBron James got the Lakers to overtime for their third straight game.
He then ensured they won their sixth straight game.
Los Angeles beat the Thunder 114-113 in overtime Wednesday. In their previous two games, the Lakers beat the Pistons in double overtime and Oklahoma City in overtime.
Tonight’s game went long thanks to LeBron’s game-tying 3-pointer with 19.6 seconds left in the fourth quarter:
With Los Angeles up one in the final seconds of overtime, LeBron broke up the Thunder’s inbound pass and left them to miss a desperation heave:
LeBron finished with 25 points, seven assists, six rebounds and two steals. He also added a clutch shot to bolster his MVP case.
Giannis Antetokounmpo couldn’t say the same Wednesday.
Around the same time LeBron was finishing off Oklahoma City, Antetokounmpo missed a game-winner in the Bucks’ 125-124 loss to the Suns:
Antetokounmpo had 47 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. He was awesome overall.
But he is not a reliable jumper-shooter. Opponents will live with his last look (if they can stay close enough for there even to be crunch time). Khris Middleton, who was open in the corner, would have been a much better option.
Which isn’t to invalidate the massive production Antetokounmpo brings.
But his limitations stand out in comparison to LeBron.