"This damn 39-year-old senior citizen just put on a damn masterpiece" - Kendrick Perkins praises LeBron James' 4th quarter heroics vs. Clippers

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If there were any lingering doubts about LeBron James’ ability to carry the team on his back in his 21st year in the league, his most recent performance against the Los Angeles Clippers put them to rest.

After “The King” spearheaded the Purple and Gold to erase a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit against Kawhi Leonard & Co., Kendrick Perkins praised the Los Angeles Lakers superstar for his late-game heroics.

LeBron put on a show

The Lakers were down by 21 after Mason Plumlee’s two-pointer 15 seconds into the final period. The Clippers’ head coach, Ty Lue, sure of his team’s victory on the night, even opted to bench Kawhi Leonard to give him extra rest. However, that’s when LeBron took matters into his own hands and completely turned the contest around.

He scored 19 of his 34 points in the final quarter, knocking down five three-pointers and single-handedly outsourcing the entire Clippers team, while assisting on 11 more points to lead the Lakers to a 116-112 victory.

LeBron’s exceptional 34/8/6 performance helped the Lakers beat the Clippers in the season series for the first time in a decade. The last time they triumphed over their city rivals was during the Kobe Bryant era when Blake Griffin was the Clippers’ leading scorer.

Skip praises “King James”

LeBron’s incredible fourth-quarter display also earned him praise from Skip Bayless. The FOX Sports NBA analyst applauded James’ performance and said the Lakers should use this win to shift their momentum and bounce out of the play-in tournament berths.

Even though LeBron carried the Lakers against the Clippers, their over-reliance on the 39-year-old superstar will only get them so far. That’s why the rest of the roster needs to step up for L.A. to have any chance of making the postseason—the Lakers are currently ninth seed in the West with a 32-28 record.

Over the next nine games, the Purple and Gold will face the Sacramento Kings twice. They will also play the Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Making the most of this stretch could even put the Lakers in a great position to avoid the play-in. But if they don’t deliver, it could also spell trouble for the 2020 NBA champs.