LeBron James had said he wants to win and give himself a chance to win and compete for championships, a couple of days ago. The veteran walked the talk as he scored a season-high 47 points against Atlanta Hawks on Friday night to help his team register a 131-120 win.

Furthermore, James, who was celebrating his 38th birthday, scored 10 rebounds and nine assists to give a perfect birthday party to his teammates.

Before this win, the Lakers had won a solitary match in their last six games and James played a key role in getting them back on track.

“I’ve been scoring 30 and it hasn’t worked, so … try 40,” James said. “And we got a win. “It’s math.”

The Lakers’ head coach Darvin Ham admitted he expects such exemplary performances from the veteran and he was once again able to deliver for the team.

“The dude is nothing short of phenomenal, amazing,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “But it’s something I expect. Like, it doesn’t blow me away. It’s just something I expect from him. It’s just like, ‘Damn! Carry on.'”

On the other hand, Thomas Bryant, who has been filling in the shoes of Anthony Davis, also showered praise on LeBron James. Bryant scored 19 points and 17 rebounds to give support to James.

“To see that performance from him, you just don’t want to take greatness for granted like that,” said Thomas Bryant.

Meanwhile, six Lakers players scored in double digits against the Hawks and thus it was a collective effort from the team.

“I don’t think anyone took that as a slight,” Ham said. “I think they took it as, ‘You know what? He’s right. We need to pick up our stuff up and really try to apply it in unison, all pulling in the same direction and go compete for our butts off.'”

The Lakers will next take on Charlotte Hornets on Monday night.