LeBron James had a triple-double, including the game-winning 3-pointer, and the Los Angeles Lakers earned the NBA’s seventh seed into the playoffs with a 103-100 comeback victory over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night at Staples Center.
The Lakers, who trailed the Warriors by 13 points at halftime, open the playoffs on Sunday against the second-seeded Suns in Phoenix at 12:30 p.m. Pacific.
James finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Anthony Davis had 25 points and 12 rebounds while Alex Caruso contributed 14 points, three steals and two assists.
The Warriors, who were led by Stephen Curry’s 37 points, have one more chance to advance out of the play-in tournament when they host the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night. Golden State beat Memphis in the final game of the regular season to secure the home-court advantage.
James put the Lakers ahead by the final margin on a desperation 30-footer with 54 seconds left.
After each team failed to score on ensuing possessions, the Warriors had one last chance to tie the score, but Curry, while defended by Davis, couldn’t handle the inbound pass as time expired.
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