LeBron returns, teams with AD to lead Lakers' win

SAN ANTONIO -- Los Angeles Lakers prima LeBron James returned Friday nighttime against the San Antonio Spurs pursuing a five-game lack due to the fact that of a near groin strain and teamed with Anthony Davis to instrumentality power successful the 4th quarter.

"The 4th fourth has ever been my favourite quarter," James said aft scoring 8 of his 21 points successful the last framework successful the Lakers' 105-94 win. "That's winning time, that's closing clip and to beryllium retired determination and being capable to execute and marque plays successful the 4th quarter, it's ever a dainty for me."

James racked up a plus-minus of plus-14 successful 9 minutes successful the fourth. He and Davis combined to people 19 successful the fourth, portion the Spurs scored conscionable 19 points arsenic a squad connected 29.2% shooting.

"His voice, leadership, his playmaking, scoring quality -- I deliberation it each came into effect tonight," Davis said. "Especially down the stretch, pick-and-roll and calling plays and stuff. I deliberation it was truly bully for us."

James started for the Lakers alongside Davis, Lonnie Walker IV, Troy Brown Jr. and Dennis Schroder, who made his archetypal commencement of the play astatine constituent guard. James added 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals successful 33 minutes arsenic Los Angeles picked up its archetypal roadworthy triumph of the season.

He besides had 9 turnovers.

"My rhythm, my timing was a small disconnected connected a fewer of my passes," James said. "I had six successful the archetypal fractional and chopped it successful fractional successful the 2nd half. But I'll beryllium a batch better, obviously, arsenic the games spell connected I'll get my bushed back."

Los Angeles went 3-2 without James, including a three-game winning streak, with Davis taking his crippled to different level with James sidelined. Davis averaged 33.2 points and 17.4 rebounds successful those 5 games, including a season-high 38 points successful a location triumph implicit Detroit connected Nov. 18.

"AD was the champion subordinate successful the league implicit the past 4-5 games," James said. "Just his numbers and productivity connected some sides of the floor. It's not conscionable offensively but defensively he's been ace engaged, and contiguous erstwhile again helium was amazing."

Davis led each scorers with 25 points Friday night, to spell on with a game-high 15 rebounds. He was 5 points shy of his 5th consecutive 30/15 game.

Schroder said Davis' and James' antiaircraft committedness is what allowed L.A. to abstracted -- holding the Spurs to 60 points successful the first, 2nd and 4th quarters combined.

"Defensively, helium was amazing," Schroder said of James. "Switching, holding disconnected players and not letting them get to the rim. ... If we got him and AD committing connected the antiaircraft extremity similar that, past we're going to spell a agelong way."

Also returning for the Lakers against the Spurs were Juan Toscano-Anderson, who had been retired with backmost tightness, and rookie Max Christie, who was successful the wellness and information protocols.

In his 20th season, James is averaging 24.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 6.9 assists portion playing 35.7 minutes per game.

He had been retired since Nov. 9 erstwhile helium suffered the groin wounded precocious successful the Lakers' nonaccomplishment to the LA Clippers. James said helium got successful a "great" Thanksgiving Day workout astatine the University of Texas astatine San Antonio that gave him the clearance helium could travel back.

"It's not the workout then, it's really however you consciousness the adjacent day," James said. "When I woke up this greeting I felt beauteous good. So I felt similar I inactive wanted to travel present and spell done my routines and spot if it held up and I felt beauteous assured that I could go."

Friday's crippled marked the archetypal of Patrick Beverley's three-game suspension for shoving Suns halfway Deandre Ayton to the level successful Los Angeles' 115-105 nonaccomplishment to Phoenix connected Tuesday, opening the doorway for Schroder's 9 points and 5 assists with the archetypal unit.

"I'm going to bash immoderate it takes to get a W each night," Schroder said erstwhile asked astir perchance earning the starting motion permanently. "We effort to vie connected the highest level. I effort to bash that. And immoderate works. I deliberation Pat is good arsenic well. Whatever works to get a triumph and to marque it to the playoffs. I deliberation that's our goal. And I deliberation everybody is connected the aforesaid page."

The Lakers and Spurs volition conscionable again successful San Antonio connected Saturday nighttime and James made it dependable similar helium planned to play the 2nd limb of the back-to-back.

"There's a beardown anticipation that I play tomorrow," James said. "I conscionable sat retired for 2 weeks. I'm good."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.