NBA: LeBron and Doncic combine to roll over Houston

Superstars Luka Doncic and LeBron James led the Los Angeles Lakers 124-116 win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, a victory that extended their winning streak to seven games in the NBA.

Here are the highlights of the day in the basketball league.

LeBron and Doncic combine for 70 points

Slovenia's Luka Doncic, the league's leading scorer, reached 40 points along with 10 assists and nine rebounds, while LeBron James, 41, added 30 points and shot 13 of 14 from the field in a road game for the Lakers.

"He carried the game with decisive shots at key moments," LeBron said, openly praising his teammate. "He's done that all season long and he's been on an incredible run since the start, and we are just trying to support him," he added.

LeBron, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, delivered a masterful performance.

"I wasn't feeling particularly good when I woke up or when I got to the pavilion. I was pretty tired from the previous game," he acknowledged. "But when the competitive adrenaline starts flowing, everything changes and we just tried to execute some plays."

The Lakers remain in third place in the West with a 44-25 record, while Houston ranks fifth in the same conference with a 41-27 mark.

Doncic and James scored 18 points apiece in the first half, which ended with the Lakers up 67-55.

LeBron had four dunks before halftime, his most since 2020, and completed an 8 of 8 from the field, matching his best mark without a miss in a half since March 2011.

However, the Rockets reacted in the third quarter: Kevin Durant, who had scored only two points in the first half, scored 13 in that period and Houston went into the final quarter with a 92-89 lead.

Doncic strung together three-pointers and assists for alley-oops capped by James and Rui Hachimura, pushing the score to 120-111, a margin Houston could not overcome.

"We have a lot of resilience," James said. "Even when we were behind in the second half and they took the lead, we have players who are used to big games," he concluded.

Boston cruises past Golden State

In Boston, Jaylen Brown scored 32 points and Jayson Tatum contributed 24 points and 10 rebounds, leading the Celtics with a 46-23 record to a convincing 120-99 victory over the Golden State Warriors.

Brown got off to a hot start, hitting 8 of 9 shots to score 19 points in the first quarter alone, while Tatum added 16 in the first half, his best production in that span since returning two weeks ago from a 10-month absence because of a ruptured Achilles tendon.

"It's a sign of the dedication and commitment he puts into his work and getting better every season," Tatum said of Brown.

SGA maintains its blistering level

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 points, extending his historic streak of games with at least that many in the NBA, as the reigning champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, won 121-92 in their visit to Brooklyn.

Jared McCain contributed26 pointsoff the bench, helping the Thunder to their 10th straight win, raising their record - the best in the league - to 55-15.

The Brooklyn Nets, meanwhile, fell to a 17-52 record in the East after stringing together their fifth straight loss.