NEW YORK – LeBron James delivered another epic performance on March 31, scoring 40 points and matching a career-high with nine three-pointers on 10 attempts, as the Los Angeles Lakers rolled to a 116-104 National Basketball Association (NBA) victory at the Brooklyn Nets.

James, a four-time NBA Most Valuable Player and the NBA’s oldest active player at 39, made 13 of 17 shots from the floor overall and added seven rebounds and five assists in an effort that had Brooklyn fans giving him a standing ovation.

“I was feeling pretty good today, obviously, shooting the ball from the perimeter,” he said.

“I just try to continually put my game where I have no weaknesses out on the floor, especially offensively. Tonight I had it going from the three-point line.”

James achieved his 77th NBA career 40-point game to match Oscar Robertson for seventh on an all-time list topped by Wilt Chamberlain’s 271.

“I love this game. I try to put everything into the game and with it, it gives back to me,” he said.

“Any time I’m linked with the greats – and obviously Big O was a big inspiration for me growing up, reading about his history – it’s pretty cool.”

Anthony Davis added 24 points and 14 rebounds, while Japanese Rui Hachimura had 20 points and 10 rebounds, as the Lakers seized a 17-0 lead and never looked back.

D’Angelo Russell scored 18 points and cracked the 10,000 career-points barrier in the triumph as the Lakers improved to 42-33, just ahead of the Golden State Warriors in the last two Western Conference play-in spots.

“Just extremely thankful that he packed the cape on this road trip,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said of the super-heroic display by James.

“We needed all nine of those threes.

“(We) kind of dropped the rope in terms of what we were doing... turned the ball over way too much, but that said, you have to just overcome these things... And we were able to do that by some huge shot-making by him.”

James was not the only superstar with nine threes on March 31.

Luka Doncic scored 47 points on 18-of-30 shooting, nine of 16 from three-point range, to lead Dallas over hosts Houston 125-107, snapping the Rockets’ 11-game winning run and stretching the Mavericks’ own streak to seven games.

Golden State kept pace with the Lakers by winning 117-113 at the San Antonio Spurs. Stephen Curry scored 33 points to lead the Warriors, while rookie Victor Wembanyama led the hosts with 32 points.

Nikola Jokic posted his 23rd triple-double of the season, sparking defending champions the Denver Nuggets’ 130-101 home victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The 29-year-old Serbian centre, a two-time NBA MVP, scored 26 points, grabbed 18 rebounds and added 16 assists for his 128th NBA triple-double.

“It speaks to why he’s going to be a three-time MVP,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said.

“(It was) him showing up and saying, ‘I’m going to do what MVPs do. I’m going to lead us to a win’.”

The Nuggets sank a season-high 21 three-point shots and clinched a play-off berth.

“We came out and really showed who we are, just getting after it defensively, rebounding, making shots. I thought we played amazing basketball,” said Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who scored 22 points.

Denver hit 50 of 87 from the floor overall (57.5 per cent) and 21 of 33 (63.6 per cent) from three-point range while out-rebounding the Cavaliers 51-28.

The Nuggets improved to 52-23, half a game behind leaders the Oklahoma City Thunder in a three-team fight for the West lead.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sank the last of his 19 points on a game-winning basket with 2.1 seconds remaining to give Oklahoma City a 113-112 victory at the New York Knicks.

Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 33 points, while Jalen Brunson, who missed a shot at the final buzzer, led New York with 30.

The Minnesota Timberwolves fell a game out of first with a 109-101 home loss to the Chicago Bulls. DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points for the Bulls, who snapped the Timberwolves’ four-game winning streak.

Paul George scored 41 points to lead the Los Angeles Clippers over hosts the Charlotte Hornets 130-118.

Kelly Oubre Jr scored 32 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers over hosts Toronto 135-120, extending the Raptors’ losing skid to 13 games.

Terry Rozier netted 27 points to lead the Miami Heat’s 119-107 victory at the Washington Wizards.

AFP