LeBron James catches fire from 3, carries Los Angeles Lakers to comfortable win over San Antonio Spurs

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LeBron James vs. the Spurs

With their comfortable 27-point win against the San Antonio Spurs, the Los Angeles Lakers clinched their first win at the Staples Center since the sudden passing of Kobe Bryant.

To nobody's surprise, LeBron James led from the front.

In 35 minutes, he finished with a game-high 36 points (12-20 FGs; 6-9 3Ps) while nearly recording a triple-double with nine assists and seven rebounds. 

LeBron's fourth quarter

James scored 19 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter, a period the Lakers outscored the Spurs 42-28. 

En route to those 19, he caught fire from beyond the arc, knocking down five 3s in a short time. 

Having dished out eight of his nine assists in the first three quarter, he took over the scoring in the final period. Here's a look at James' shot chart in the fourth quarter:

LeBron James 4th quarter shot chart vs. the Spurs

Lakers' supporting cast does its bit

Although James led from the front, the rest of the Lakers did their bit to ensure there was no let down. 

Anthony Davis, who didn't need to play in the fourth quarter, scored 18 points (8-12 FGs) in 29 minutes. JaVale McGee finished with 14 points (5-7 FGs) and five rebounds in 15 minutes of action while Dwight Howard recorded a double-double of 12 points, 11 rebounds, and a tied team-high +20 in 21 minutes. 

Kyle Kuzma, who also found his touch in the final period, scored 12 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter. He also recorded 12 rebounds and four assists in 30 minutes of action. 

DeRozan shows up but Spurs lose big

The Spurs lose by 27 but DeMar DeRozan did put up numbers. He nearly recorded a triple-double with team-highs of 28 points (12-21 FGs), nine rebounds, and seven assists. 

Despite playing 33 minutes, he was tied for a team-low -5 in a 27-point loss. 

Notable Spurs scorers like LaMarcus Aldrdige, Patty Mills, and Rudy Gay failed to contribute as much, only combining for 13 points (5-23 FGs; 2-9 3Ps).

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