SAN FRANCISCO — Steph Curry and LeBron James played like they knew they might not have many more Christmas games left in their careers.

Curry and James exchanged three-pointers and the Warriors’ superstar scored the team’s final eight points, nearly turning Golden State on its head.

With 12.2 seconds left, Curry scored on a sharp corner kick to beat James 3-0 and cut the Lakers’ lead to 111-110. Six seconds later he tied the score with another three-pointer after a great inbounds play by Steve Kerr.

But Austin Reaves, who finished the game with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, beat Andrew Wiggins (21 points, 12 rebounds) off the dribble and secured the winning goal.

With two mediocre teams, the all-time legends hovered, as they have for most of the past two decades. But Reaves, appearing in the absence of Anthony Davis, had the winning goal. To Warriors fans, Reaves was the Grinch. To the Lakers, he was their Santa Claus.

Reaves beat the Warriors 115-113, handing Golden State (15-14) its eleventh loss in its last 14 games. Curry finished with 38 points – a personal best for Christmas Day – including eight threes, and James scored 31 points.

The last two minutes of the first half were familiar to every NBA observer from the last 15 years: two icons exchanged balls.

Curry caused a stir and James tried to keep up with him. After Curry snaked inside for a finger roll, James swept past Brandin Podziemski on the other side. Curry responded with a rainbow 3 from 28 feet, then another triple with a deadly stepback to knock out Christie. In transition, he added a no-look dime to Jackson-Davis for a dunk.

Curry had two of the worst games of his career last week – a two-point duel in Memphis and a 2-for-13 game that night against Indiana. But he is still capable of rising to the challenge. As he is wont to do, he stands up in the bright light.

At that point, James led the Lakers with 19 points. Curry paced the Warriors with 16 points. Los Angeles went into halftime with a three-point lead as Golden State failed to punish the Lakers’ small-ball lineups.

The Lakers had to play small because Anthony Davis left after seven minutes with an ankle injury and did not return.

Curry reverted to a more standard substitution pattern instead of playing the first and last four minutes of each quarter. It seemed to help him find a rhythm quicker.

James, on the other hand, punished inconsistencies and drove mercilessly to the trophy. He has shot significantly more 3-pointers in recent years as he has gotten older, but he missed six of his first 13 field goal attempts from inside the lane.

Playing with a depleted squad, James controlled every possession like it was the 2016 Finals. He’s not the same freight train he once was, but you still don’t want to be in front of him on a fast break.

Draymond Green sank a corner 3 after four misses; The Lakers willingly gave him that shot. Then, five minutes into the third quarter, Curry missed a shot to bring the score to 67.

But James helped the Lakers go on an 11-2 run to put them back ahead by nine points, giving them an eight-point lead heading into the final frame.

Kerr called on Curry to get the Warriors back in the game. He held her tightly; When Curry went off with 6:52 left, the Warriors were seven minutes behind. For Curry’s return, the bench cut the number to three.

But a 3-pointer and a floater from Reaves – who sandwiched a layup missed by Curry – brought the Lakers back within eight.

Curry made his best sixth three-pointer on Christmas Day, but James responded with a deep pull-up. Each of them scored 30 points and then exchanged assists – James against Max Christie, Curry against Jonathan Kuminga.

James beat Wiggins at the rim, but his signature block fell into Dennis Schroder’s lap for a 3. Curry raced across the floor and hit a reverse layup, making it a two-point tie with 25.7 seconds left. game came.

Then Curry saved Christmas. Almost.

A Miracle 3 in the corner over James opened the door, cutting Los Angeles’ lead to one. Then Kerr designed a perfect play to put Curry ahead 30 feet from the basket, and he rattled home the game-winning basket.

Chase Center rocked. Then, moments later, there was silence.

Reaves beat Wiggins in the Cup and was done. The weak side’s auxiliary defense changed late. There was no night-night, no silencer. Just a supporting player seizing the moment in a game where James and Curry shined.

In a game against a team without its second-best player – and virtually no center – the Warriors found money.