LeBron James is the king of Christmas.
The Los Angeles Lakers narrowly defeated the Golden State Warriors 115-113 Wednesday in their Christmas Day game at the Chase Center.
James had 31 points, 10 assists, four rebounds and two steals, extending his NBA record for the most points scored by any player on Christmas Day to 507. James also holds the record for the most Christmas Day appearances (19) and wins (11).
“I love the NFL, but Christmas is our day,” James said after the game.
This marked James’ and Curry’s fourth Christmas Day matchup against each other. James has now won three on Christmas Day vs. Curry (2016, 2018, 2024), while Curry has only won one holiday game against James (2015).
Curry finished with 38 points, six assists and one rebound. Andrew Wiggins added 21 points and 12 rebounds.
The Lakers won despite getting no points and only 7 minutes from Anthony Davis, who exited early with an ankle injury. Austin Reaves stepped up, recording a 26-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double that included scoring the game-winner with just a second to go.
Lakers vs. Warriors highlights
Final: Lakers 115, Warriors 113
Austin Reaves’ last-second layup lifts Lakers
Reaves capped his triple-double off with the game-winner. With 6.1 seconds remaining in the contest, Max Christie inbounded the ball to Reaves, who drove to the cup for a layup to put the Lakers up 115-113 with 1 second remaining in the contest. Steph Curry got a shot off from beyond halfcourt, but couldn’t muster up anymore late-game heroics. The Lakers win 115-113.
Steph Curry pulls Warriors even with incredible 3s
Steph Curry cannot be stopped. Curry knocked down two 3-pointers in the span of 13 seconds to tie it up 113-113 with 6.3 seconds left in the contest.
Lakers pulling away in final minutes
The Warriors pulled within three points of the Lakers with 4:58 remaining in the game, but Austin Reaves knocked down a 27-foot 3 to extend the lead back up to six, 100-94. On the Lakers’ next possession, Reaves hit a jumper to put the Lakers up by eight with 3:48 remaining.
Anthony Davis out
Anthony Davis is done for the night. The Lakers ruled Davis out for the remainder of the contest due to an apparent ankle injury. He exited with 4:48 remaining in the first quarter after appearing to roll his ankle while under the basket. Davis was scoreless (0-for-3 FG) when he headed back to the locker room.
Lakers up by 9 in third quarter
The Lakers are up to their largest lead of the night with 3:50 remaining in the third quarter. Rui Hachimura knocked down a 3-point shot to put the Lakers up 78-69. Hachimura is up to 12 points on the night.
Halftime: Lakers 55, Warriors 52
The Lakers have a slight advantage over the Warriors heading into halftime, holding a 55-52 lead.
Los Angeles is shooting 41.7% from the field and 6-for-19 from 3. LeBron James has a game-high 19 points and three rebounds. Austin Reaves has 10 points, while Dalton Knecht added 11 points off the bench.
Golden State is shooting 45.7% from the field and 9-for-25 from 3. Stephen Curry leads the Warriors with 16 points and four assists, while Andrew Wiggins has 14 points.
The Warriors have only converted one free throw the entire first half, compared to the Lakers’ 9-for-9 mark from the free throw line.
Lakers go on 16-2 run
Los Angeles is back in the driver’s seat thanks to a 16-2 run in the second quarter. The Lakers lead 39-30 with 6:53 remaining in the first half. LeBron James is up to 13 points, while Dalton Knecht has 11 points off the bench.
The Lakers are shooting 42.9% from the field and are 5-for-13 from 3. The Warriors are shooting 37.5% from the field and 6-for-21 from 3.
End of first quarter: Lakers 23, Warriors 23
We are all tied up after one quarter of play.
The Warriors led by as many as eight points in the first quarter before the Lakers were able to storm back and tie things up heading into the second quarter.
Andrew Wiggins is already up to 10 points for Golden State, while Dennis Schroder has six points.
LeBron James leads the Lakers with eight points, while Dalton Knecht added five points off the bench. Anthony Davis was scoreless (0-for-3) before exiting early.
Anthony Davis heads to locker room with apparent injury
Lakers star Anthony Davis appeared to roll his ankle as he was under the basket in the first quarter. He was down in pain clutching his left ankle before trying to walk off the pain. He was able to leave the floor under his own power, but headed back to the locker room.
When is Lakers-Warriors game?
- Opening tip will be Wednesday, Dec. 25 at about 8 p.m. ET.
Where is Lakers-Warriors game?
- The Warriors will host the Lakers from Chase Center in San Francisco.
How to watch Lakers-Warriors game on TV
- The game will be broadcast on ABC/ESPN.
How to stream Lakers-Warriors game
- The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and on Fubo, which offers a free trial.
NBA games today
- New York Knicks 117, San Antonio Spurs 114
- Minnesota Timberwolves 105, Dallas Mavericks 99
- Philadelphia 76ers 118, Boston Celtics 114
- Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors, 8 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN
- Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns, 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC
Lakers’ starting five
- Rui Hachimura
- LeBron James
- Anthony Davis
- Max Christie
- Austin Reaves
Warriors’ starting five
- Stephen Curry
- Dennis Schroder
- Andrew Wiggins
- Draymond Green
- Trayce Jackson-Davis
Lakers vs. Warriors odds, line
The Golden State Warriors are favorites to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers during their Christmas Day matchup, according to the BetMGM odds.
- Spread: Warriors (-4.5)
- Moneyline: Warriors (-190); Lakers (+155)
- Over/under: 222.5
NBA Western Conference standings
- Oklahoma City Thunder 23-5
- Houston Rockets 20-9
- Memphis Grizzlies 20-10
- Dallas Mavericks 19-11
- Denver Nuggets 16-11
- Los Angeles Clippers 17-13
- Los Angeles Lakers 16-13
- Golden State Warriors 15-13
- Minnesota Timberwolves 15-14
- San Antonio Spurs 15-15
- Phoenix Suns 14-14
- Sacramento Kings 13-17
- Portland Trail Blazers 9-20
- Utah Jazz 7-21
- New Orleans Pelicans 5-25
Lakers vs. Warriors all-time record
The Lakers and Warriors have played 438 times against each other in the regular season, with Los Angeles leading the series 262-176. This is their first meeting this season. The last time they played was last season, with the Warriors winning 134-120 on April 9, when Steph Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 50 points. LeBron James had 33 points, 11 assists and 7 rebounds. Golden State was 3-1 against Los Angeles last year.
Most points in NBA history on Christmas Day
LeBron James holds the record for most points scored (476) on Christmas Day. Below are the top single-game scoring performances on Christmas:
- Bernard King, Knicks – 60 in 1984
- Wilt Chamberlain, Warriors – 59 in 1961
- Luka Doncic, Mavericks – 50 in 2023
- Rick Barry, Warriors – 50 in 1966
- Jerry West, Lakers – 47 in 1963
- Tracy McGrady, Magic – 46 in 2002
- Dominique Wilkins, Hawks – 45 in 1987
- Tom Heinsohn, Celtics – 45 in 1961
- Wilt Chamberlain, Warriors – 45 in 1959
- Kevin Durant, Thunder – 44 in 2010
- Jerry West, Lakers – 44 in 1965
Which NBA teams have played most Christmas Day games?
The New York Knicks have played in 55 games on Christmas, more than any team in the league.
Which NBA teams have won most Christmas Day games?
The New York Knicks’ 24 wins on Christmas are tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the league record. The Philadelphia 76ers are third with 19. All three teams play on Christmas this year.
Which player has the most wins on Christmas Day?
LeBron James and his former Miami Heat teammate Dwyane Wade are tied for the most Christmas wins with 10. James has a chance to pass Wade if the Lakers can beat the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.
NBA players to watch on Christmas
Christmas brings out the NBA stars.
From Dolph Schayes to Bill Russell to Oscar Robertson to Michael Jordan to Kobe Bryant to LeBron James to Kevin Durant to Steph Curry, the biggest names and best players have been a part of the league’s Christmas schedule.
This Dec. 25 is the same.
Jeff Zillgitt details the top NBA players to watch during the 2024 Christmas Day games.
NBA MVP candidates
Who is this year’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the next player to move deep into the NBA MVP conversation? Jeff Zillgitt breaks down the top candidates.
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
