LeBron James guided the Los Angeles Lakers to a 116-114 comeback victory over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, hitting two critical free throws with 3.9 seconds left. The Lakers overcame a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit, with James reflecting on the pressure-filled finish.
“I just wanted to make them put themselves in a position to win the game,” James said of his final free throws. “Still three seconds to go, so I just went up there, made them, and then we got a stop.”
James addressed his on-court encounters with Dillon Brooks, noting the competitive edge but emphasizing restraint. “He’s going to compete, I’m going to compete, and we try not to go borderline with it,” he said. Regarding Brooks’ chest-to-chest play in the closing seconds, James added, “If it was a tech on me in the first half, then it was a tech on him right there.”
On defending Grayson Allen in transition, James revealed his preparation: “I remembered a move he used against Minnesota, so when he pump faked, I knew he’d go one-two step through. I got my hand on the ball and Marcus was able to get the rebound and foul.”
James also highlighted the Lakers’ bench, which delivered crucial contributions in the second half. “Jarred Vanderbilt hadn’t been in the rotation for a minute, and he gave us that spark—seven and seven with six offensive rebounds,” he said. “Jaxson [Hayes], Gabe [Vincent], Jake [LaRavia]—our bench won us the game tonight. It’s that simple.”
When asked why he, instead of Luka Doncic, took the technical free throw in the final seconds, James explained, “I just walked to the free throw line. I’d been okay with Luka taking it too, but I took it. Unfortunately, I missed the first one, but made up for it.”
Reflecting on his longevity at age 40, James expressed gratitude. “It’s fun to compete, play the game I love, and be out there with these younger guys,” he said. “I never gave myself a timeline of when I would be done. Super blessed to still be playing at this level.”
James’ leadership and composure proved decisive as the Lakers improved to 18-7, while the Suns fell to 14-12.
