LOS ANGELES — LeBron James came within one rebound of a triple-double, finishing with 31 points, 10 assists, and nine boards as the Los Angeles Lakers emphatically ended their three-game losing streak with a 141–116 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night.
Luka Dončić added 27 points and 12 assists for the Lakers, who built a commanding 32-point lead early in the second half and withstood a spirited late push by Atlanta. Since acquiring Dončić nearly a year ago, Los Angeles has endured a four-game losing streak only once.
Playing the second night of a back-to-back during his record-setting 23rd NBA season, James delivered another all-around performance, narrowly missing his first triple-double since Feb. 1 of last year in New York. That game is also remembered as the night the Lakers completed their blockbuster trade for Dončić.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 26 points and CJ McCollum added 25 for the Hawks, who had won the first two games of their West Coast road trip. Corey Kispert chipped in 19 points in just his second game with Atlanta following his trade from Washington for Trae Young.
The Lakers were sharp offensively from the opening tip, drilling 19 three-pointers after struggling from deep in a loss at Sacramento the night before. Dončić sparked a decisive second-quarter surge with three straight triples during a 17–0 run.
Los Angeles shot nearly 62 percent from the field and carried an 81–60 halftime lead, its highest-scoring half of the season. Although Atlanta cut the deficit to 11 in the fourth, the Lakers quickly pulled away.
Jake LaRavia and DeAndre Ayton scored 17 points apiece for Los Angeles, while Rui Hachimura returned from injury with seven points off the bench.
