LeBron scores 21 as Lakers end skid with Trail Blazers’ romp

LeBron James scored a team high 21 points and equalled his season best of 16 assists as the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a four game losing streak with a 128-120 win over Portland on Saturday.

 James was a late addition to the lineup because of a groin injury that has hampered his play of late. James said treatment for the injury includes plenty of ice packs.

 Kyle Kuzma scored a team-high 24 points and Anthony Davis added 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the win.

 Coach Frank Vogel said the Lakers needed to clean up the mistakes that caused them to suffer their longest losing streak of the season.

 Damian Lillard recorded 31 points and nine assists for the Trail Blazers, who lost their third straight game.

 Elsewhere, Kyle Lowry scored 30 points as the Toronto Raptors avenged a Christmas Day loss to Boston with a 113-97 rematch victory over the Celtics.

 Serge Ibaka finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds as the Raptors snapped a two-game losing skid which included a 118-102 loss to Boston on Wednesday, as the two Eastern Conference contenders were playing for the second time in less than 72 hours.

 Patrick McCaw had 18 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, while a resurgent Fred VanVleet also scored 18 points in the win for the defending NBA champs. Lowry also had seven assists in front of the crowd of 19,100 at the Boston Garden arena.

 Kemba Walker scored 30 points for the Celtics, who had their five-game winning streak halted.

 The injury-hit Raptors managed to slow down Jaylen Brown, who finished with 17 points. Gordon Hayward (13), Jayson Tatum (12) and Enes Kanter (11) also reached double figures in scoring.

 McCaw got a layup in the first quarter to give the Raptors the lead and start a quarter ending 19-8 run.

 Terence Davis’ putback gave the Raptors an 89-79 lead heading into the fourth, and Ibaka’s layup with 10:11 remaining lengthened the lead to double digits for good. Toronto led by as many as 17 over the final 12 minutes.

 The Raptors were playing without forwards Norman Powell (shoulder) and Pascal Siakam (groin), as well as centre Marc Gasol (hamstring).

Agence France-Presse