TORONTO (AP) — LeBron James knew his record streak of double-digit scoring efforts was in jeopardy. And in the moment, he didn’t care.
The right play was to pass the ball — so he did. And with that, his streak ended.
James’ run of 1,297 consecutive double-digit regular-season scoring efforts ended Thursday night, when the NBA’s career points leader was held to eight points in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 123-120 win over the Toronto Raptors. He had the game-winning assist, setting up Rui Hachimura’s 3-pointer as time expired.
Afterward, he was asked what thoughts he had about the streak ending.
“None,” James said. “We won.”
James could have tried to win the game — and extend the streak — on the final possession, but he instead passed to Hachimura in the left corner. Hachimura connected, and James threw his hands in the air in celebration.
“Just playing the game the right way. You always make the right play,” James said. “That’s just been my M.O. That’s how I was taught the game. I’ve done that my whole career.”
“LeBron is acutely aware of how many points he has at that point,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “He did it like he’s done so many times.”
James checked back into the game for the final time Thursday with 5:23 left, the outcome and the streak hanging in the balance. He had six points on 3-of-15 shooting at that point.
He scored with 1:46 left to tie the game and missed a 14-footer with 1:01 left that would have gotten him to double digits.
He didn’t take another shot — but could have. Austin Reaves gave James the ball with a few seconds left, but James opted to make the pass instead.
“The basketball gods, if you do it the right way, they tend to reward you,” Redick said.
James’ streak started on Jan. 6, 2007. It was, by far, the longest such streak in NBA history: Michael Jordan had 866 consecutive double-digit scoring games, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had 787 and Karl Malone had the fourth-longest run at 575.
“He’s such an unselfish player,” Lakers center Jake LaRavia said. “He’s just playing the game of basketball. He had the opportunity but because of the player he is and just who he is as a person, he made the unselfish play, passed it to Rui and we won the game.”
It was usually an afterthought long before the start of fourth quarters. During James’ streak, he had reached the 10-point mark by the start of the fourth quarter 1,266 times entering Thursday.
But two of those single-digit games through three quarters had come in the last week or so: He had nine points going into the fourth against Dallas on Nov. 28, then had six points going into the fourth against Phoenix on Monday night.
James managed to extend the streak against the Suns. One game later, it was done — and he celebrated anyway.
“I always just make the right play. That’s automatic, win, lose or draw,” James said. “You make the right play, the game gods are always giving back to me.”
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