SAN ANTONIO — At the moment the Lakers were at risk of turning a potential blowout win into a nail-biter, they needed an adult in the room.
Thus, Friday night was a perfect time for LeBron James to return.
The 37-year-old was far from perfect in his comeback from a five-game layoff, but he provided needed poise in the fourth quarter of an eventual 105-94 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. James had 21 points, Anthony Davis had 25 points and 15 rebounds, and the Lakers (6-11) won for the fourth game in their past five games and logged their first road win of the season (the last team in the league to do so).
Albeit: Against a team like the Spurs, the Lakers need to prevail. San Antonio lost its seventh consecutive game and its 12th in the past 13. But while there was a shaky section when the Spurs got to within three points in the final quarter, the Lakers managed to pull it out with James and Davis leading the way.
Lonnie Walker IV added 18 points, leading the first-half effort against his former team, and the Lakers led by 17 at the break.
It was James’ first action since Nov. 9, when he strained his left adductor against the Clippers. While he officially started the day as questionable, TNT had reported during Tuesday’s game that James expected to return against the Spurs – which was confirmed roughly an hour before tip-off.
James got going quickly, nailing a 15-foot jumper on the opening possession. But other facets of the game saw him shaking off some rust: He had six of his nine turnovers in the first half alone.
Related Articles
NBA suspends Lakers’ Patrick Beverley 3 games for shove against Suns
Analysis: How Anthony Davis’ hot streak could change Lakers’ outlook
Despite Anthony Davis’ historic night, Lakers’ win streak ends against Suns
Lakers say LeBron James is day-to-day, but report says he could return Friday
Lakers reset: Austin Reaves makes a compelling case to keep starting
All the same, the Lakers seemed to be on a breezy path to a win halfway through, namely because their opponents couldn’t shoot. The Spurs made just 36.3% of their shots in the first half. Meanwhile, Walker torched them, going 6 for 9 before the intermission with soaring drives to the basket and steady perimeter shooting. At the end of the first half, Walker had more 3-pointers (three) than his old team as a group (two).
But third-quarter woes came back to bite the Lakers, who looked discombobulated as they gave up a 22-9 Spurs rally to end the quarter. Overall, San Antonio finished with 20 offensive rebounds, giving them 19 second-chance points.
More to come on this story.