LeBron James walked through the visitors’ locker room on Christmas afternoon, wondering if there was music playing at Chase Center.

When a DJ bumped into Ludacris near the basket where the Lakers were warming up in the early 2000s, James paused his routine to dance and smile.

Like every other player in the league before or since, James is aware of the phase. And even after doing it 18 times in 21 seasons before, being on the court on Christmas Eve with everyone watching hit him like a triple espresso.

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Facing Stephen Curry and the Warriors in a big game? Old news for James, who faced one of his biggest rivals in five different playoff series (and one play-in game).

But in the context of this season, with James just days away from his 40th birthday, he seemed like someone who was eager to enjoy things.

He hugged Curry before the game, the two Olympic teammates from the summer still enjoying the experience. After halftime, he ran onto the field and stopped at the end of the tunnel to playfully dance to “Not Like Us” with Chase Center security guards. And during the action, with timely help from Austin Reaves, he delivered a standout performance for the unexpectedly outmatched Lakers in a 115-113 win over the Warriors.

After a flurry of Curry shots in the fourth, Reaves drove past Andrew Wiggins and scored the game-winning goal with one second left.

Without D’Angelo Russell for the entire game and Anthony Davis out for most of the game, James didn’t just use his old man strength to force his way into the lineup. He leapt over the passing lines, dug in and deflected double teams, pivoted midfielders and squeezed smaller defenders between him and the rim.

Russell did not play after suffering a sprained thumb in the Lakers’ loss to Detroit on Monday. Davis, a player who has thrived against smaller Golden State lineups, played just seven scoreless minutes before exiting with a sprained left ankle.

This meant that even the most energetic version of James needed help. He got it on Wednesday.

Reaves scored 26 points to go along with 10 rebounds and 10 assists, the third triple-double of his career. Rui Hachimura scored 18 points and five three-pointers and grinned on the Lakers’ bench as a running back on defense. Max Christie and Gabe Vincent chased Curry, and freshman Dalton Knecht, in a months-long slump, scored 13 points off the bench.

But winning is always hard – and like James, the Warriors don’t shy away from the biggest stages.

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Former Laker Dennis Schroder hit a three-pointer after a block from James and Curry hit a layup to cut the Lakers’ lead to two within 30 seconds.

Christie made two free throws, but Curry hit an incredibly difficult three-pointer over James deep in the corner to make it a one-point game. Reaves hit both free throws, but the door was still open.

And Curry got enough of a Draymond green screen to make another three-pointer, this time without anyone, to tie the game with six seconds left before Reaves won it for the Lakers with a layup.

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.