LeBron James, one week shy of his 39th birthday, became the first player to top 40 points in his 21st season.
“We needed this win,” James said. “We didn’t want to end the road trip in a losing effort. … To come in here to play versus a team that’s been playing extremely well throughout this season, it was a big win for us.”
The Thunder, owners of the No. 3 record in the Western Conference, were thwarted by the Lakers’ new-look starting lineup that replaced point guard D’Angelo Russell with forward Jarred Vanderbilt — giving L.A. a big, switchable front line to apply pressure on defense.