If anyone needed a reminder that LeBron James can still take over a game at 40 years old, Sunday night delivered it, emphatically. Luka Dončić summed it up best afterward with a grin: “That was vintage LeBron… We’re happy he was there to save us. He decided the game.”

James returned to the floor after missing Friday’s matchup against the Celtics due to sciatica and left foot joint arthritis, the same issues that sidelined him for the Lakers’ early games of the season. But against the Philadelphia 76ers, James looked anything but restricted.

Instead, he was the closer, the engine, and the moment.

James poured in 29 points on a hyper-efficient 12-of-17 shooting, including 4-of-6 from deep, while adding seven rebounds, six assists, a steal, and a block in 34 minutes.

And when the Lakers needed him most, the NBA’s oldest active player took full control.

After Joel Embiid tied the game at 105-105 with 1:22 remaining, James marched down the court and buried a step-back three, a vintage dagger.

Seconds later, he drilled a smooth mid-range jumper to extend the lead to five and silence a Wells Fargo Center crowd that had smelled momentum only moments earlier.

His late-game brilliance iced a hard-earned 112-108 victory against a scrappy Sixers team.

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Dončić, who posted a 31-point, 15-rebound, 11-assist triple-double, had nothing but admiration for the performance.

“You could feel it,” Dončić said. “He had that look.”

Philadelphia was led by Tyrese Maxey’s 28 points, while Embiid struggled mightily, finishing just 4-for-21 from the field.

For the Lakers, the win wasn’t just about standings; it was a reminder of why they still believe they’re dangerous when healthy.

And for LeBron James, it was proof that time may be undefeated, but for now, he’s still winning rounds.

As Dončić put it: “When LeBron decides the game, you just get out of the way and appreciate