LeBron James 'takes over' again as Lakers outlast Clippers - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — Halfway through overtime in the Los Angeles Lakers' 130-125 win over the LA Clippers on Wednesday — with LeBron James' playing time already nearing the 40-minute mark — Austin Reaves had a decision to make.

Storming up the court on a fastbreak, having just stolen the ball from Kawhi Leonard, Reaves could try to finish at the basket himself or involve his 38-year-old teammate.

«At no point after I got that ball did I think I was going to shoot it,» Reaves said. «I saw him and I was going to pass it the whole way.»

It wasn't just any pass. Reaves threw an alley-oop over his shoulder, and the hard-charging James dunked it home to put the Lakers up by five with 2:12 to go. It prompted the Clippers to call a timeout and sent the crowd into a tizzy.

«I have a sense that I can just throw it anywhere and he'll go get it,» Reaves said of James. «That's the crazy part with how long he's been playing.»

Added James, after finishing with 35 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists in 42 minutes: «I'm just happy I'm still able to go get it at this point in my career. I mean, he trusted me to go get it, so I wanted to go up there.»

The dunk capped a dominant finish to the game for the four-time MVP, who was instrumental in the Lakers snapping an 11-game losing streak against the Clippers by scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, going 6-for-8 from the field in doing so.

«I mean, he took over,» Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell said of James.

The win lifted the Lakers' record to 3-2, and James continued coming up clutch in late-game situations. He has scored 51 points (10.2 points per game) in the fourth quarter and overtime this season, shooting a blistering 21-for-31 from the field (68%).

«If we keep the game close,