LeBron James on Friday had 25 points and 10 assists in his return from an illness, while Russell Westbrook added 18 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Atlanta Hawks 130-114 for their first four-game winning streak in just under a year.
Kendrick Nunn sank 23 points in the highest-scoring performance of his career with the injury-depleted Lakers, who never trailed while beating the Hawks for the second time in eight days. Los Angeles won in Atlanta on Dec. 30, with James scoring 47 points on his 38th birthday.
The Lakers jumped to a 26-point lead in the first half of the rematch and hung on comfortably for their fifth win in six games overall.
Photo: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY
They had not won four straight since Jan. 7 last year, when they also beat Atlanta in Los Angeles.
Thomas Bryant had 19 points and 13 rebounds for LA, while Dennis Schroder scored 21.
Trae Young scored 21 of his 32 points in the second half for the Hawks, who have lost five of six. Unable to overcome a dismal first half, Atlanta have lost two of three on their four-game California road trip.
Photo: Michael McLoone-USA TODAY
“We didn’t do a good job stopping the ball [or] protecting the paint,” Atlanta coach Nate McMillan said. “We had some fight in the second half, but just too deep of a hole.”
James returned to the Lakers’ lineup after sitting out Wednesday’s impressive victory over Miami with a bad cold, but Los Angeles played without Anthony Davis, Lonnie Walker, Troy Brown, Damian Jones and Austin Reaves, the newest addition to Los Angeles’ long injury list with a strained left hamstring.
Reaves and Walker, who has left knee tendinitis, are both out for at least two more weeks, depriving the Lakers (18-21) of two key rotational players as they attempt to keep up their overall solid play since a 2-10 start to coach Darvin Ham’s first season.
Photo: AFP
Los Angeles used their 21st starting lineup of the 39-game season against Atlanta.
“The Rubik’s Cube was one of my favorite toys growing up,” Ham said before the game. “Coming in real handy right now.”
In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Charlotte guards Terry Rozier and LaMelo Ball took turns raining three-point baskets on hosts the Milwaukee Bucks as the Hornets put together a record-setting first quarter in a 138-109 romp.
Charlotte scored 51 first-quarter points, tying the NBA record for most points in an opening quarter and setting a franchise record for any quarter.
The Hornets also tied the highest single-quarter output in the league this season.
Rozier scored 39 points, bagging six treys, and Ball racked up 24 points, with seven of his eight field goals coming from three-point range as the Hornets won for just the second time in seven games.
Ball, who finished with 12 assists, has poured in at least 20 points in 14 consecutive games.
In other games on Friday, it was:
‧ 76ers 112, Bulls 126
‧ Pacers 108, Trail Blazers 99
‧ Pelicans 102, Nets 108
‧ Nuggets 121, Cavaliers 108
‧ Spurs 121, Pistons 109
‧ Thunder 127, Wizards 110
‧ Raptors 108, Knicks 112
‧ T’wolves 128, Clippers 115
‧ Suns 96, Heat 104
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