LeBron James’ instant reaction to the boost for LA against the 76ers

Back in action on Sunday, LeBron James put together his best performance of the season to lead the way Los Angeles Lakers to a 112-108 victory against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center.

After missing the previous game against the Celtics with sciatica and arthritis in his left foot — the same issues that kept him out of the first 14 games of the season — the 41-year-old-to-be showed no signs of being limited, scoring 29 points on 12-for-17 shooting, including 4-for-6 from deep. He added seven rebounds, six assists, a steal and a block in 34 minutes.

James also regained his rhythm afterward his 1,297-game hitting streak in double figures ended in Torontoand his post-victory reaction centered around recognizing the moment his team needed him to take control.

“End of journey, can be quite tired legs”, James he said after the victory. “I felt great…I had a chance with pretty good legs, my legs were pretty good tonight, to assert myself a little bit offensively.”

“I had a chance with pretty good legs, my legs were pretty good tonight, to assert myself a little bit offensively.”

LeBron James (29 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST, STL, BLK) talks to @LakersReporter after #LakeShow beat the 76ers, 112-108. pic.twitter.com/hiiVIVI9ZA

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) December 8, 2025

After Philadelphia tied the game at 105, James stepped up, drilling a 3-pointer and a jumper on back-to-back possessions. In the fourth quarter, he went on a personal streak of 10 pointsand a steal with three seconds left sealed the win for Los Angeles.

Moreover, it was a performance with historical significance. With the Lakers’ 17th win of the season, the 4k MVP passed Robert Parish (1,014) for second place on the NBA’s all-time regular season wins list, behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,074).

Returning after missing two games for “personal reasons” while in Slovenia for the birth of his second child, Luka Doncic matched James with a triple-double of 31 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists, becoming only the eighth Laker to reach the 30-15-10 mark. The 26-year-old shot 9-for-24 from the field, 11-for-14 at the line, and chipped in two blocks in 39 minutes.

The Sixers controlled the first half behind Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid’s 15 points, adding eight, though he was off his usual shooting pace, which gave Philly a seven-point lead at the break. Embiid finished with 16 points on 4-for-21 shooting and Maxey finished with 28 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.

The Lakers’ next challenge comes on Wednesday when they host the San Antonio Spurs in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup.