The Lakers were hesitant to pull LeBron James during the fourth quarter scoring run

The Los Angeles Lakers got to 3-0 for the first time in 13 years, and did so in dramatic fashion. The Lakers won a thriller against their division rival, the Sacramento Kings, 131-127.

The Lakers, who have struggled against the Kings over the last few years, had a few problems but were ultimately able to prevail and beat their California counterparts.

LA needed everything they could get from their superstar duo, and boy did they get that and more. Lakers superstar LeBron James appeared a bit sluggish in the first two games of the season, but the opposite was true in the third game, especially the fourth quarter.

The Lakers entered the fourth quarter trailing by seven points after leading by as many as 15 points, and then LeBron happened. James spiraled out of control in the fourth quarter and helped the Lakers stage a 16-point comeback in the final quarter.

James turned heads early in the fourth quarter, accounting for 18 points during the Lakers' 21-0 run early in the fourth quarter. He scored 11 straight points and then assisted on a Jaxson Hayes dunk before scoring five more points.

James could do no wrong. The team wanted more from James and was hesitant to pull James during his scoring spree. After the game, Lakers superstar Anthony Davis talked about it in the locker room.

“Just when you think he's slowing down, he continues to show the world why he's the greatest,” Davis said in the locker room. “During that stretch he actually looked at the bench and tried to get out of the game. We told him, 'You're not coming out.' He comes out and hits another three-pointer. He continues to surprise each of us because we just know what he is capable of and what he can do.”

LA outscored Sacramento 44-33 in the fourth quarter thanks to James' breakout. He shot 6 of 6 from the field and had 16 points in the final frame.

Ultimately, James finished the game with 32 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, securing his first triple-double of the 2024–25 NBA season. It was fun for the crowd and necessary for the win; Still, James said he doesn't need to play at that high level all four quarters.

“Listen, I could do this at 22, but at almost 40, I don’t have to do it for four quarters,” James said. “I have the luxury of having an MVP-caliber player alongside me (in Anthony Davis). AR (Austin Reaves) can get it going en masse. D-Lo (D'Angelo Russell) can catch fire. Rui (Hachimura) has been consistent and he can also get going and score.

“So this team is not designed for me to have 16-point quarters in all four quarters. That's not how it's structured and it shouldn't be. We are a team and we all play together.”

James showed the NBA world why he is still one of the best players in the league today.

He will be 40 in two months.

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