LeBron James ‘having the time of my life proper now,’ helps Lakers finish journey on upswing with 38 vs. former group

CLEVELAND — With the Los Angeles Lakers‘ flat-lining season experiencing a little bit of a blip with Monday’s 131-120 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James says he nonetheless has one thing left to play for.

“I am actually having the time of my life proper now,” James stated after the Lakers completed their four-game highway journey by profitable two of their remaining three. “The sport’s such a fantastic factor.”

L.A.’s spot within the standings is something however stunning, even with the upswing, because the Lakers nonetheless sit at No. 9 within the Western Convention — one sport forward of the No. 10 New Orleans Pelicans and three video games up on the No. 11 San Antonio Spurs — with 10 video games left to play.

However James, who poured in 38 factors, recorded 12 assists and grabbed 11 rebounds in lifting his all-time file to 17-1 in opposition to his former franchise, is locked into the current second his group finds itself in.

With 4 championships and 10 journeys to the NBA Finals on his résumé already, why does the 37-year-old star nonetheless discover goal with a group simply hoping to scrape its means into the play-in match?

“As a result of I could not care much less what the narrative about our group is,” James stated. “At my level in my profession, I do not get entangled in that stuff. I do not examine it, I do not hear it an excessive amount of. … None of that stuff issues to me, I am having a blast enjoying the sport of basketball.”

Lakers coach Frank Vogel stated that James’ play — he averaged 37.three factors on 57.1% taking pictures, 10 rebounds and eight.three assists to finish the journey as L.A. beat two playoff groups in Toronto and Cleveland and narrowly misplaced to Washington after main by as many as 16 — has saved his group aggressive regardless of how the season has gone.

“It is a league that when issues do not go the suitable means, it is not a nice factor to be round,” Vogel stated. “This group has not let go of the rope and the most important, No. 1 motive is due to how he is performed and the way he is led and what he represents by way of having confidence about the place we are able to finally get to.”

James obtained to relish within the glory days a bit on Monday. He racked up his third profession triple-double in opposition to the group that drafted him and acquired a prolonged, rousing ovation from the Cleveland crowd when the videoboard acknowledged him passing Karl Malone to turn into the NBA’s No. 2 all-time scorer over the weekend. And he gave a particular welcome to his previous teammate, Kevin Love.

He dunked on him.

“To be utterly sincere, I hated that it needed to be him,” James stated with a smile. “He is my man. That is my brother. And I hope I am nonetheless invited to [Love’s] marriage ceremony. That is not even in my all-time dunks so I will take it out. I did not imply it. Okay-Love, I really like you and I take it again. I want I might take these two factors again and we nonetheless win the sport by 9.”

L.A. had that cushion due to not solely James, however Russell Westbrook (20 factors, 11 assists) and D.J. Augustin (20 factors on 7-for-7 taking pictures).

“Internally, we really feel like we’re an important group and we are able to do one thing particular,” Augustin stated. “Make a run. Get into the playoffs. And make a run within the playoffs. And so long as we imagine in one another, it does not matter what anyone else thinks.”

Westbrook stated he’s motivated to show the doubters improper who’ve commented on the Lakers’ woes all season lengthy.

“Nothing higher than shutting folks up,” he stated.

The Lakers might need quieted the noise for an evening, however nonetheless have six of their remaining 10 video games on the highway and the house video games aren’t gimmes both, with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Denver Nuggets coming to city.

“I’ll play with a variety of ardour, a variety of vitality, give my teammates what they deserve, what they want and like I stated for the remainder of the season hopefully I can keep considerably injury-free,” James stated. “Clearly, I am coping with a couple of accidents proper now, however I am working by it and we’re working by it and that is all that issues. We go away the whole lot on the ground and management what you may management and what you may’t you do not fear about. Simply my mindset.”