CNN
—

The Los Angeles Lakers earned a 116-110 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday as LeBron James returned to the team after a two-game absence.

The 39-year-old missed the Lakers’ recent games against the Portland Trail Blazers and the Minnesota Timberwolves for personal reasons and an injury to his foot.

James finished the game with 18 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, one steal and two blocks in 34 minutes, helping the Lakers bounce back from Friday’s loss to the Timberwolves.

James, who turns 40 in two weeks, said before the season that his goal was to play all 82 games.

“If it was up to me, I probably would have played,” James said, according to ESPN. “It would have been hard to stop me. I have a team and I have to listen to them too. They care about my well-being.”

When asked how he spent his week off, James replied: “A lot of rehab, a lot more training to make sure I’m ready to go tonight,” James said. “I didn’t want to get too out of shape.”

Lakers head coach JJ Redick previously said James was “excused” and taking “some time for himself” amid injury concerns and rumors that his time with the franchise – and perhaps even his NBA career – is nearing an end could come to an end.

“I had the opportunity to take more days and get my mind, body and everything where I wanted it to be for tonight,” James said. “And it worked.”

James added that the foot pain he struggles with is “common.”

However, the Lakers were led by another big night from Anthony Davis, who finished with 40 points, 16 rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block.

Davis, who matched his season high in points, has now recorded at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in three of his last four games, according to the AP.

It was a surprisingly quiet offensive night for the Grizzlies, who entered the contest riding a four-game winning streak.

Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 25 points with five rebounds and Ja Morant added 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Despite the loss, the Grizzlies remain in second place in the Western Conference while the Lakers are down in 10th place as the team continues to struggle to find any consistency.

Dončić scores a triple-double as the Mavericks and Warriors break the NBA’s three-point record

Luka Dončić’s massive triple-double led the Dallas Mavericks to a 143-133 victory over the Golden State Warriors in a game in which both teams tied for the NBA record for most three-pointers in a game.

The Slovenian recorded a whopping 45 points, 11 rebounds, 13 assists, three steals and two blocks as the Mavs won for the eighth time in the last nine games. The only loss during this time came in the NBA Cup quarterfinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Mavericks made 21 three-pointers and the Warriors made 27, combining for 48 shots from deep, surpassing the previous record of 45.

It was fitting that the record was broken in a game where the “Splash Brothers,” Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, were now playing on different teams.

Both players made seven three-pointers, Dončić six and Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins five each.

It was a night where Thompson turned back the clock and delivered one of his best performances in a Dallas jersey with 29 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Kyrie Irving contributed 21 points and eight assists.

Wiggins scored a team-high 29 points for the Warriors, while Curry added 26 points and 10 assists.

The Mavericks are currently No. 4 in the West, while the Warriors have now lost two in a row and fall to No. 7.

Away at Home (winners in bold)

New Orleans Pelicans 104-119 Indiana Pacers

New York Knicks 100-91 Orlando Magic

Boston Celtics 112-98 Washington Wizards

Minnesota Timberwolves 106-92 San Antonio Spurs

Portland Trail Blazers 109-116 Phoenix Suns

Dallas Mavericks 143-133 Golden State Warriors

Memphis Grizzlies 110-116 Los Angeles Lakers