National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Miami 98, L.A. Lakers 87
When: 8:00 PM ET, Thursday, January 19, 2012
Where: American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Officials: #56 Mark Ayotte, #48 Scott Foster, #53 Mark Lindsay
Attendance: 20004

LeBron James had a game-high 31 points despite experiencing flu-like symptoms earlier in the day, as the Miami Heat defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 98-87 on Thursday night.

Miami defeated the Los Angeles for the fourth straight time. The Lakers have now lost seven of their last eight games in Miami.

The Heat came out strong, building a 15-point lead at the half and never looking back as James improved to 10-2 in his last 12 meetings with the Lakers.

Pau Gasol led Los Angeles with 26 points. Kobe Bryant struggled in the first half but caught fire after the break, scoring 18 of his 24 points after halftime.

Dwyane Wade missed his second straight game with an ankle injury. The Heat are now 5-0 without Wade in the lineup this season.

James was chasing down a loose ball in the second quarter when he nearly ran over a petrified fan in the front row. Fortunately, he was able to hold the fan upright rather than knock him over.
Top Game Performances
 
L.A. Lakers   Miami
Pau Gasol 26 Scoring LeBron James 31
Kobe Bryant 7 Assists LeBron James 8
Andrew Bynum 12 Rebounds Chris Bosh 8
Kobe Bryant 5 Free Throws Made LeBron James 5
Kobe Bryant 3 Steals LeBron James 4
Matt Barnes 2 Blocks LeBron James 3
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
L.A. Lakers 87 42.0 6-20 13-16 19 38 6 7 14
Miami 98 44.7 9-18 13-18 19 44 5 8 13
Upcoming Games
  • Miami will play their next game at home against Philadelphia. The Heat have a W/L % of .778 after a win and .600 after a loss.
  • L.A. Lakers will play their next game on the road against Orlando. The Lakers have a W/L % of .600 after a win and .667 after a loss.