Zion bested by LeBron's 40, but earns his praise

And it looked as if James had some extra fire for the matchup, as he tallied 17 fast-break points, his most as a member of the Lakers and tied for the third most in his career."Satisfaction for me always comes in a win, no matter how well I'm playing," said James, who at 35 also became the oldest player with a 40-point game at Staples Center since the late Kobe Bryant scored 60 in his final NBA game at age 37 in 2016.But James had plenty of praise for the 19-year-old Williamson, the top pick in the 2019 draft whom James called "very explosive" and "very quick for his size.""He's playing exceptional basketball," James added. The speed, running up and down and playing at that speed, they move the ball."Williamson made 8 of 18 shots from the field and notched his fifth straight 25-point game, tied with Doncic (2018-19) and Carmelo Anthony (2003-04) for the longest streak by a teenager in NBA history, according research by the Elias Sports Bureau.He also made a career-high 13 free throws on 19 attempts from the line."They try to get it up the court and it reminds me of the Phoenix Suns back when Steve Nash was running it in that first 8 seconds," James said.