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LeBron James nets triple-double in lone trip to Atlanta; Hawks get the win

James racked up 28 points, 11 rebounds and 16 assists, but the Lakers couldn't answer for the Hawks burying 16 three-pointers.

ATLANTA — LeBron James made the most of his lone trip to Atlanta this season.

On Tuesday night, before a jam-packed crowd at State Farm Arena, the Los Angeles Lakers star rolled for a triple-double against the Hawks, collecting 28 points, 11 rebounds and a season-high 16 assists.

However, the effort came in vein, with Atlanta pulling out a thrilling 117-113 victory – the club's first win of this seven-game home stand (1-3)

(The Hawks have one more game before the All-Star Break – Thursday versus the Knicks.)

Atlanta started out like a house on fire, burying 10 three-pointers in the first quarter (apparently one shy of an NBA record). Reserves Vince Carter and Alex Len were a perfect 5-for-5 from beyond the arc in that opening period. Curiously, though, the duo wouldn't hit another triple the rest of the night.

The second quarter was heavily slanted toward the Lakers, with James anchoring his team on numerous fast breaks. However, during this run of offensive success, a major flaw had been revealed on the defensive end: Los Angeles had no answer for Atlanta forward John Collins inside the paint.

As a result, Collins coolly notched 22 points (and eight boards) on 8 of 15 shooting, but with only two attempts coming from beyond the arc (2 for 2).

Rookie Trae Young was similarly stellar on this night, accounting for 22 points (three triples), 14 assists and six rebounds.

Put it all together, and the young Hawks (19-38) should feel great about their effort, especially since a good chunk of the home fans were audibly supporting the Lakers.

But here's the crux: With the All-Star break just two days away, and the woeful Knicks languishing through a 17-game losing skid, the Hawks cannot afford a major letdown against a New York squad that's unabashedly trying to secure the NBA's worst record ... as a means of garnering the No. 1 pick in the Draft Lottery (late May).

If that happens, the Knicks might be in position to broker a blockbuster trade for Anthony Davis, thus dangling the draft rights to Duke star Zion Williamson, among other assets, to the Pelicans front office.

Back to LeBron: Tuesday's terrific showing marks only his fifth triple-double of the year

However, it might not replace the anguish of the hot-and-cold Lakers falling below .500 once again (28-29 overall). 

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