LeBron James Scoring Streak Ends. Lakers Still Win In Dramatic Fashion.

LeBron James’ scoring streak of 10 points or more ended Thursday Night in Toronto at 1,297 games. With Luka Dončić out, the Lakers offensive scheme shifted with Austin Reaves as the 1st option and LeBron James as the 2nd. Reaves had another outstanding performance with 44 points and 10 assists. On the other hand, James recorded a poor shooting night from the field making just 4 of his 17 shots (0/5 from the 3-point line). He did register 11 assists and no turnovers but the Raptors ultimately held James to just 8 points (last regular season game in single digits since Jan. 5, 2007).

However, the most notable play of the night came on James’ 11th and final assist. With the score tied at 120, the Raptors double-teamed Austin Reaves. Reaves fed LeBron the ball with 4 seconds left. James drove to the basket and unexpectedly passed to Rui Hachimura in the corner. Hachimura let it fly and sunk the three, leaving Scotiabank Arena stunned.

The Raptors ended the streak but the Lakers still came away with the win 123-120. Most viewers were expecting James to take the final shot in the dying seconds of the game to potentially salvage the streak. In poetic fashion, LeBron made the right play and passed to the open shooter, something he is often criticized for. When asked post-game, Hachimura stated, “(LeBron) told me right before this, I got you. It’s going to come to you”.

With James essentially being the 3rd option most nights when Luka is on the court, the streak had become an ongoing distraction. In his post-game interview, LeBron seemed to be more relieved rather than disappointed. James was asked about his feelings on the streak ending. His response was simply, “None. We won”.