Bron with the second wind

James' heroics in Lakers' win a reminder he's still going strong

- BY THỤC NHI NGUYEN

DEANDRE AYTON (5) blocks VJ Edgecombe's shot during the Lakers center's 14-point, 12-rebound game that helped L.A. beat the 76ers 112-108 and finish its East Coast trip 2-1.

LeBron James needed to send this message.

He still sits on his throne.

The Lakers' superstar scored 10 consecutive points late in the fourth quarter to seal a 112-108 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, finishing with 29 points, seven rebounds and six assists to help the Lakers (17-6) nab two wins out of a difficult three-game trip.

Philadelphia (13-10) crawled back from a 10-point deficit in the third quarter and tied the score with 1:28 remaining on a shot by Joel Embiid. James answered with a fadeaway three-pointer over Quentin Grimes with 1:11 left. He all but iced the game with a 20-foot fadeaway over Grimes with 27.3 seconds remaining.

Photographs by CHRIS SZAGOLA Associated Press

A PUMPED-UP LeBron James scored 12 of the Lakers' 25 fourth-quarter points on Sunday. Said Luka Doncic: "We're happy he was there to save us."

Running back up the court, James held both hands low in a “too small” signal. He placed an invisible crown on his head. He soaked in the roars from the crowd and punctuated it with his signature silencer celebration.

“That was vintage Bron,” said Luka Doncic, who finished with 31 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists after a two-game absence for the birth of his second child. “We're happy he was there to save us.”