NBA Roundup: LeBron shines in Lakers' NBA win over Spurs
LeBron, who scored 21 on Friday in his return from a groin injury also against the Spurs, grabbed 11 rebounds on Saturday, hit 10 of 10 from the free-throw line and hit seven of the Lakers' 17 three-pointers.
The superstar, who was struggling from three-point range before an injury sidelined him for five games, said he never doubted the shots would start falling.
"I feel like we're getting better and better," LeBron said of a Lakers team that has struggled early this season.
"At the beginning of the season, we would have lost a game like this. I feel like we're definitely buying the extra pass. Guys are confident in their shots, we're shooting from the perimeter with confidence and we're attacking the rim as well."
Meanwhile, Dennis Schroder added 21 points and Lonnie Walker added 19. Star point guard Russell Westbrook added 11 points with seven rebounds and six assists coming off the bench.
Westbrook was incensed when he was elbowed in the face by Zach Collins under the basket with two minutes left in the third quarter. Westbrook jumped to his feet, bleeding profusely, and charged Collins before LeBron embraced him and, as they headed to the bench, put a towel on his forehead.
Collins was ejected for a flagrant foul and Westbrook, who briefly went to the locker room, returned to the game. With a 7-11 record, the Lakers are third in the Western Conference.
Dallas miss despite Doncic's effort
In Toronto, the Dallas Mavericks failed despite an excellent performance from Slovenian star Luka Doncic, falling to the host Raptors with a 105-100 slate.
The shorthanded Raptors shook off a slow start to beat Doncic, the season's leading scorer.
British guard O.G. Anunoby scored 12 of his 26 points in the final quarter as the Raptors came out of the battle with the victory.
Anunoby also had a solid defensive effort on Doncic, who scored 24 points and nine assists, but matched his season low with just 15 shot attempts.
"He's an unbelievable player," Doncic said of Anunoby. "I would say on both ends. I think he's the leader in steals in the NBA, but offensively he improved a lot. I'm impressed with his game, he's an unbelievable player."
Meanwhile, Fred VanVleet, back after missing a game due to illness, also scored 26 points for the Raptors, who were without Cameroon's Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, Precious Achiuwa and Otto Porter Jr.
In Phoenix, the West-leading Suns improved to 13-6 with a 113-112 home win over the Utah Jazz.
Deandre Ayton led the Suns with 29 points and 29 rebounds, followed by Devin Booker who scored 26. The Suns were without Chris Paul for the ninth straight game because of a right heel injury.
Utah had a three-point lead before the final quarter, but Phoenix forged a 99-93 lead with 6:23 to play and would never trail again.
Elsewhere, in the final game of the day, the Houston Rockets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-105.
