Guarding Vanderbilt was Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr.’s assignment, and he left him open in the corner to stop Doncic. With the defense collapsing on him, the Slovenian kicked it out to the 26-year-old, and he buried the open three.

"LeBron is still averaging 20 points and shooting 50%. He can help a team win," one head coach said. "You just have to find the right situation." LeBron James clearly doesn't have it every night as he approaches 41 years old.

The question of whether a team should foul when up three points at the end of a game has raged on for as long as the 3-point line has been around. Some coaches always foul when up three.

In a season where he has already missed significant time, the Lakers are not going to risk another setback. With James still playing at a high level, averaging 21.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game on 51.1% shooting and 30.6% from three, preserving his health has become more important than ever.