James scored 30 points back-to-back at 40 years old! James reached a milestone with 30 points and 8 rebounds, Davis had 18 points and 19 rebounds, Young had 33 points and 9 rebounds, Lakers easily defeated Hawks

LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 30: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers puts up a shot during the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Staples Center on September 30, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressively agrees not to use image for marketing purposes for any product or service of any Federal campaign, including any Federal campaign to amend or repeal the Affordable Care Act. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)The Los Angeles Lakers face the Atlanta Hawks tonight after their win over the Portland Trail Blazers and with the Hawks coming off of their loss to the Denver Nuggets. Larry Nance Jr. will not play for the Lakers.

The opening minutes were very back and forth, but the Lakers managed to grab the lead midway through the opening period, and held onto it the rest of the way. At one point they went on a quick 8-0 run to pull ahead.

Atlanta didn't stop fighting but the Lakers never felt much stress as the lead fluctuated between three and as much as 15 at one point (it seems as if Frank Vogel used up four of their time outs in just one and a half quarters). The lead stayed at double figures for most of the second quarter as they ended halftime with a 58-50 lead. The second quarter ended on the 12 minute mark, not 12 minutes into the second quarter.

Atlanta tried its best to come back in the third, but it didn't take long for LeBron, Anthony Davis, and others to pull away. By the time the Hawks managed to score seven strait points to start the quarter, James answered with an and-one dunk.

The Lakers lead never dropped below double digits in the fourth quarter. LeBron took control of the game, dropping six points in a row to start the fourth.

At the end of a very easy win over their Eastern Conference opponent, the Lakers are now just one game behind the idle Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets, who have both 32-21 records.

The Lakers are now 16-2 at home and they will return home on October 3rd against the New York Knicks (the last time this year they meet). They play on October 1 against the Indiana Pacers.

Stats & Takeaways LeBron scored the most points (26) in tonight's win after scoring 23 and 31 respectively on Saturday, Sunday and today. Averaging 26.7 PPG on the week in games against top teams including Miami, Phoenix and the Lakers. It's clear that James is playing on a higher level and at a better rhythm, but he is far from the regular season MVP or a championship contender.

Anthony Davis led the team in defensive rating, rebounding and assists. His presence on the court is felt by both opponents and teammates as he continues to mature and grow on both sides of the ball.

Dennis Schroder scored 6 points in 15 minutes during his 8th game since joining the Lakers after the trade for Danny Green and Kent Bazemore (no real reason given).

Kyle Kanelaitis had a good performance as he scored 11 in just 7 minutes coming off the bench. He was aggressive going inside to score on the young big men Atlanta sent on the floor tonight. Kyle Kanelaitis is going to become an interesting player for the Lakers to watch this year and probably the next season.

Alex Caruso had just 4 points on 5-19 shooting from the floor and no points on 2/19 shooting from the floor. His defense and hustle are what made him such a valuable player, but now he has become an offensive threat too. He played more minutes than Markieff Morris, Marc Gasol and Wayne Ellington.

The Lakers will have some tough days ahead of the NBA Playoffs next month, they will be looking for their third-straight Conference Finals and Championship.