LOS ANGELES — LeBron James saw his record streak of 1,297 consecutive regular-season games with at least 10 points come to a halt Thursday night, but the Los Angeles Lakers still slipped past the Toronto Raptors, 123-120.
The four-time MVP finished with eight points on 4-of-17 shooting, marking the first time since Jan. 5, 2007, that he failed to reach double figures. Asked afterward for his reaction, James kept it brief: “None. We won.”
The final minutes
James re-entered with just over five minutes remaining, sitting on six points. He converted one more basket to reach eight, missed a mid-range jumper that would have pushed him to 10, and had another chance on the last possession. Instead of forcing a shot, he drove and kicked the ball to Rui Hachimura in the left corner. Hachimura drained the buzzer-beating three, sealing the three-point win.
“Just playing the game the right way. That is how I was taught,” James said.
Head coach JJ Redick noted that the 20-year veteran knew exactly where he stood but chose the pass anyway. “He was fully aware of the moment and still made the unselfish play,” Redick said.
Forward Jake LaRavia echoed the sentiment: “He is such an unselfish player. He just made the right play.”
Historic numbers
James’ streak had been the longest in NBA history by a wide margin. Kevin Durant now owns the league’s top active run at 267 games, while Michael Jordan’s previous record of 866 ended in 2001.
Reaves explodes for 44
Austin Reaves carried the scoring load, pouring in a career-high 44 points and helping Los Angeles win on a night when Luka Dončić was not in the lineup.
With the victory, the Lakers improved to 34-29, while the Raptors fell to 28-35.
Source: Hoops Wire
