LeBron-Curry Battle Thrills NBA Fans as Reaves Helps Lakers Beat Warriors with AD Out
Jed Jacobsohn/NBAE via Getty Images
A game-winning shot from Austin Reaves capped off Wednesday’s Christmas Day showdown between LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
Curry tied the game with two late threes before Reaves’ last-second layup sealed the Los Angeles Lakers’ 115-113 win over the Golden State Warriors.
NBA @NBA
AUSTIN REAVES WINS IT FOR THE LAKERS ON #NBAXmas! pic.twitter.com/7SFj98Lmuh
Reaves finished the game with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to celebrate the holiday with a triple-double.
FYHLAWG 👺 @_AyoBlackGuy
Man Austin Reaves has shown up in the clutch time and time again 🥶 That’s a bad man
Eric Sklar @TheDukeOfSports
I’m totally fine with the Lakers not being okay with including Austin Reaves in a trade package for Zach LaVine
Wednesday marked the fourth Dec. 25 matchup between James and Curry, following two Warriors-Cavaliers holiday games in 2015 and 2016 and a Warriors-Lakers Christmas tilt in 2018.
The stars were familiarly dominant in the 2024 holiday rematch. James finished the win with a team-high 31 points while stepping up for an injured Anthony Davis, who exited with an ankle injury in the first quarter.
Curry meanwhile led the Warriors with 38 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, while helping launch multiple comeback attempts for Golden State.
NBA @NBA
Steph & LeBron trading tough buckets will NEVER get old 🔥 pic.twitter.com/lmT33gvhHH
WBR @W_B_Rick
We’re really watching Lebron and Steph do this on Christmas in 2024. Unbelievable what these 2 have given the game
Automatic @automaticnba
LeBron 19, 3, 63% ts Curry 16, 4, 73% ts in the first half pic.twitter.com/Jp4xlf2rvg
Ashwin Raman @AshwinRaman_
LeBron and Steph going at it pic.twitter.com/Mo8CQ3FKn1
Abu Bakar @coudjoo
Steph Curry and LeBron James giving us a Christmas classic game right now. This is real hoops
Curry went 8-for-15 from behind the arc on Wednesday night, including the three-pointer that helped the Warriors first climb back from a third-quarter deficit to tie the Lakers.
NBA @NBA
Steph is up to 5 3PM early in the 3Q on #NBAXmas 🎯
🎄 LAL-GSW
🎁 ABC, ESPN, ESPN+ & Disney+ pic.twitter.com/0cGs5yAOBt
James helped the Lakers recover the lead in the third quarter. The two stars went on to trade three-pointers as the Warriors began another comeback attempt in the final minutes.
NBA @NBA
LEBRON & STEPH TRADE CLUTCH TRIPLES 🔥 pic.twitter.com/QPBXrjj01x
Curry hit two three-pointers within the final 13 seconds of the game to tie the score with 6.3 seconds left on the clock.
NBA @NBA
HOW DOES STEPH DO IT 🎯 pic.twitter.com/ZnlHPtQtlm
Curry’s effort fell short in the face of Reaves’ game-winner as the Warriors conceded their sixth loss in seven games.
He will now look to get his team back in the win column when the Warriors return to action on Friday during a road game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Lakers find themselves on the opposite trajectory with four wins in their last five games. The team will wait to get an update on Davis’ injury before the team heads back home on Saturday to take on the Sacramento Kings.
