NEW YORK — No matter what, the Lakers always have one thing to fall back on — the wonderment of the ageless 39-year-old LeBron James.

James scored 40 points to help the Lakers breeze past the Brooklyn Nets, 116-104, Sunday in Brooklyn.

What You Need To Know

  • LeBron James had one of the best shooting nights of his career, scoring 40 points and going 9 for 10 on 3-pointers

  • James received a standing ovation for his effort, a rarity for any player in a road game at any time

  • With the win, the Lakers (42-33) put some pressure on Phoenix and Sacramento, teams they're trying to catch in the standings

  • The Lakers face Toronto on Tuesday

He made a mind-blowing nine of 10 shots from the three-point line, setting a team record for best accuracy from deep with at least 10 attempts.

"I was feeling pretty good today, obviously, shooting the ball from the perimeter," James told Spectrum SportsNet. "Tonight, I had it going from the three-point line. I was able to make a few for sure, especially in that fourth quarter when the Nets started to make a little run."

James scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to help the Lakers maintain a game-long lead that stood at 24 in the first quarter but dropped to 10 early in the fourth.

No problem.

In his 21st season, James knew how to end Brooklyn's mild momentum.

He made two three-pointers, including an off-balance, tumble-into-a-courtside-seat rainbow from the left corner to make sure the Lakers would get the win.

James received a standing ovation for his effort, a rarity for any player in a road game at any time. He made an incredibly efficient 13 of 17 shots and added seven rebounds and five assists in 37 minutes.

"It's incredible. Just extremely grateful that he packed the cape for the road trip," Lakers Coach Darvin Ham quipped. "Some huge shot-making for him."

James' accuracy edged out three other Lakers who made eight of 10 three-point shots in a game--Jordan Farmar in 2004, Jordan Clarkson in 2017 and Glen Rice in 1999.

With the win, the Lakers (42-33) put some pressure on Phoenix and Sacramento, teams they're trying to catch in the standings.

The ninth-place Lakers trail seventh-place Phoenix by 1.5 games in the Western Conference, but the Suns and eight-place Kings have difficult roads down the stretch. Phoenix has the NBA's hardest remaining schedule, while the Kings have the fifth-hardest schedule over the final two weeks of the regular season.

James said he was more concerned about how the Lakers looked going into the postseason, not where they finished in the standings.

"You want to try and be playing at a high level going into the postseason, no matter where you land," he said.

Not to be forgotten, Anthony Davis scored 24 points and 14 rebounds on Sunday, while Rui Hachimura scored 20 points and 10 rebounds.

The Lakers also welcomed back reserve guard Gabe Vincent, who played for the first time since Dec. 20. The Lakers' prized free-agent acquisition from Miami, Vincent underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee three months ago. He had two points in 14 minutes.

"I thought for a guy that's been out that long, he came in and had some big possessions. Defensively, he was trying to get after it," Ham said. "I was encouraged by his pop, his speed, his energy."

Cam Thomas scored 30 points for Brooklyn, which fell to 29-46.

The Lakers' next two games provide a chance to make up even more ground. They play Tuesday at Toronto, a team that's lost 12 consecutive games, and Wednesday at Washington, owners of the NBA's second-worst record.

James, though, was the story Sunday. Weary or not, it didn't show.

"It's been a long season," he said. "It feels like it's been three or four season wrapped into one."