3.) LeBron and Zion duel in NOLA
In what was easily one of the more anticipated match-ups of the season, the Los Angeles Lakers were set to take on the New Orleans Pelicans on March 1st, 2020. This game was exciting for a variety of reasons, the most obvious of which was that this was Zion Williamson’s second game against LeBron James.
The first match-up against these two didn’t disappoint, as LeBron James put up a huge 40/8/6, while Williamson answered back with 29/6/3. Brandon Ingram also had a big game against his former team with 34/7/4.
However, the second matchup against these two teams was more impressive than the first one. Without Anthony Davis to shoulder the scoring load, LeBron put the team on his back and put up a 34 point, 12 rebound, and 13 assist triple-double, while Williamson answered back with a career-high 35 points on a hyper-efficient 12 for 16 shooting.
Even though the Lakers won handily 122-114, the game was filled to the brim with highlight plays, most of which came from the Zion-Lonzo connection that is shaping up to be one of the most entertaining one-two punches in the league.
There were a lot of fun parallels with this matchup. The most obvious being that, LeBron James; who was perhaps the most hyped prospect coming out of high school, is in the twilight of his career, and is matching up with a player who was just as hyped coming out of college in Williamson who is just beginning his NBA journey. But once again, LeBron had to teach these youngbloods a lesson, and show them why he’s one of the greatest players of all time.