The Lakers outplayed the Thunder in almost every category. They outrebounded the Thunder, had a season-high 38 assists, outscored the Thunder 16-6 in fast-break points and hit 50.0% from 3-point range versus 31.7% for the Thunder.

With a 16-14 record, L.A. is still in ninth place in the Western Conference. But now it has some burgeoning good vibes as it returns home for its Christmas Day showdown versus the hated Boston Celtics.

Anthony Davis: A

Davis continues to feast in the month of December. He scored 26 points while shooting 11-of-21 from the field, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked two shots. He was double-teamed early and often, but he picked apart that defensive strategy with seven assists.

The superstar big man played a total of 42 points and was on the court for the entire second half. Keep in mind that he rolled his ankle in Wednesday’s game against the Chicago Bulls and likely wasn’t feeling extremely well for Saturday’s game, yet he powered through it and delivered his usual excellent performance.

Cam Reddish: B-minus

Reddish struggled offensively, as he shot just 2-of-7 from the field and missed all four of his 3-point attempts. But he contributed in an area he usually doesn’t contribute in — passing. He had seven assists, and he also added four rebounds in 28 minutes.

LeBron James: A-plus

Coming off nearly 72 hours of rest (he didn’t play on Thursday against the Minnesota Timberwolves), James was fresh and energetic. He scored a big 40 points, with 15 of them coming in the fourth quarter, while shooting 13-of-20 overall, 5-of-5 from downtown and 9-of-9 from the free throw line. He also contributed seven rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks in 37 minutes.

This was James’ 75th 40-point game of his career. What he is doing just a week shy of his 39th birthday is simply remarkable, to say the least.

D’Angelo Russell: B-plus

Russell came off the bench on Saturday for the first time since Game 4 of the 2023 Western Conference Finals. His first shot attempt was an air ball, but he hit his next four shots, including two treys.

Overall, he shot 5-of-9 and went 3-of-6 from beyond the arc to score 15 points, and he also helped out with three assists in 17 minutes. After finally finding his shot late in Thursday’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, perhaps Russell has awoken from the prolonged slump he has been in this month.