NBA: LeBron James and Anthony Davis catapult the Lakers and the playoffs | sports

The Lakers came close to the precipice in the same season that LeBron James set the NBA record for points. The Angelenos have imposed their seniority at home on Tuesday with a stupendous performance by James, with 30 points and 10 rebounds, and Anthony Davis, with 24 goals. These have given oxygen to a team that did not seem so destined to repeat the ridicule of last year. The Lakers have extended their streak with a 108-102 overtime victory over the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves, taking seventh place in the West. On Sunday they will face Ja Morant’s Memphis Grizzlies, second in the conference.

James and Davis scored 54 points, half the total scored by the Angels. The team has eight victories in its last ten games. Only the Clippers, their rival in the city, have been able to double an inspired Lakers in April. Their attack benefited from the Timberwolves’ bench problems. The team decided to suspend French veteran Rudy Gobert after he threw a punch at Kyle Anderson on Sunday following an argument on the bench. Those from Minnesota jumped onto the field of the Crypto arena without one of the pillars of their defense. Gobert is the rebounding leader on his team with 11.4 per game. Tonight, the Lakers prevailed in rebounding with 48 compared to 37 for the Timberwolves.

Davis comes to recover his form and look more like that pivot that was vital for the Lakers to lift the trophy the year that culminated in the Orlando bubble. This Tuesday, Davis was finally able to break the 20-point barrier. He also had 15 rebounds. In the last three games he had been below the mark. Unlike what happened a few months ago, that void has been filled with the offensive power of Dennis Schröder.

The German point guard, who came back from an injury that left him out of action for two days, scored 21 points on Tuesday, including a cold-blooded three-pointer that put the wolves against the ropes in the last seconds of the match. An inexplicable foul by Davis in the corner of the field gave Mike Conley the opportunity to tie the game from the free throw line with 0.1 left on the clock. But the victory has the Lakers in a good mood, who laughed off the mistake. “It’s unfortunate that AD (Anthony Davis) had mental gas and blew Dennis’ game-winning basket,” LeBron told TNT. “Definitely, I apologize for screwing up his winning shot,” Davis laughed from beside him.

The Lakers became the third team from California to qualify for the playoffs. One of the most anticipated series in that of the Warriors, the current champions, against the Sacramento Kings, who are going through a great moment and return to the postseason after more than 15 years of absence.

Minnesota will risk their lives on Fournes at night against whoever wins the match between the Oklahoma City Thunders and the New Orleans Pelicans. It will be a good opportunity for the stars of the team to turn the page on a bad night. Anthony Edwards scored just nine points and Karl-Anthony Towns, who had 24 points, got into foul trouble early in the fourth quarter.

The Hawks clinched the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference with a 116-105 victory over the Miami Heat. Trae Young was key in the victory this Tuesday with 25 points and Clint Capela grabbed 21 rebounds for the rival team, led by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. The triumph of those from Atlanta has had the taste of revenge. Last year it was Florida who knocked them out of the way for the title in the first series of the playoffs. Atlanta faces off Saturday against Boston, one of the conference favorites. And the Heat will have a new opportunity to become the eighth invitee in a game against the winner Chicago and the Raptors.

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