After Shaquille O?Neal?s Stern Message on LeBron James? Trade From Lakers, the ?King? Answers Back in His Own Style

The Lakers have finally bounced back with a commanding performance that was long overdue. Their struggles in the NBA have been the limelight this season. Their season has taken multiple hits so far as they are still the 9th seed and are looking to play in the play-in tournament to have a chance to get into the playoffs. But Saturday night was different. The fans saw the Lakers they’ve been wanting to see for a long time along with a fired-up LeBron James.

Amidst stressful outings and a losing run since the All-Star break, the Lakers needed to see the best of their stars sooner rather than later. And Saturday night, against the Golden State Warriors, did not disappoint. One match does not guarantee success, but it can give the momentum and direction needed for better things ahead. The Lakers are in need of more such performances.

LeBron James? Masterclass

James put on a GOAT-level performance against Stephen Curry?s Warriors. He was just the 7th Lakers player ever to get 54 points or more in a game.

James ended the game with a massive 56 points as the Lakers won 124-116 in the end. It was an absolutely explosive display from the King. This was the perfect reply in agreement to what Shaq warned the Lakers about trading James.

?If you trade LeBron, you?ll never win again,? Shaq said. ?You have to make a decision. If you put LeBron around the right guys, they are definitely going to win. I think whoever put the team together needs to step up and try and fix it.?

WATCH: NBA legends who think LeBron James is the GOAT!

The King proved his worth once again by putting up a historic performance against a title-contending side. The 37-year-old was on top of his game as he took apart the Warriors? defense repeatedly. 56 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, that?s a way to silence the haters.

He is only the 4th player to be 37 years old or more and have a 50 point game.

Big result for the Lakers

Malik Monk and Carmelo Anthony played perfect supporting roles. Another guy who gave an answer to his critics was Russell Westbrook. A player as experienced as Russ well and truly knows that he is having a poor season. But against the Warriors, everything was almost perfect. He was in harmony with LeBron and their chemistry was visible and successful, unlike other games. Russ West scored 20 points.

The Warriors made it tough in the end, and the win wasn?t easy. At one point, the game was end to end. No team could maintain the lead in the 4th quarter for quite some time and the score was often equal. Few clutch interceptions from Monk and a surge for points, in the end, led the Lakers to an impressive victory. Steph?s 30 points and effort from the Warriors were not enough as LeBron bossed the game.

READ MORE: James vs Curry is always a treat of a game!

Overall, the Lakers were sharp, decisive, and efficient. Something they had missed all season. Moreover, they looked like a complete team with a desire to win. With 56 points, the King was overpowered!