For LeBron James, the win mattered more than the streak.
James’ NBA-record run of 1,297 consecutive regular-season games with at least 10 points ended Thursday night at Toronto, and he was the one who made the decision to have it end. Instead of trying to score to win the game — and extend his streak — he set up Rui Hachimura for the final shot.
Hachimura connected on a 3-pointer at the buzzer, James got the game-winning assist, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Raptors 123-120. James finished with eight points and had no regrets.
“None,” James said. “We won.”
James’ streak started Jan. 6, 2007 and lasted nearly two decades. It was, by far, the longest such streak in NBA history: Michael Jordan had 866 consecutive double-digit scoring games, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was third best at 787 games, and Karl Malone had the fourth-longest run at 575.
James was fully aware that if Hachimura scored, the streak would end. But Hachimura, in that moment, gave the Lakers the best chance of winning, James figured. And James didn’t hesitate to fire the pass.
“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.”
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. Lakers guard Austin Reaves gave James the ball with a few seconds left, but James was happy to get the assist.
“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. ... The basketball gods, if you do it the right way, they tend to reward you.”
The last time James was held under 10 points in the regular season was Jan. 5, 2007, when he had eight points for Cleveland in a 95-86 win over Milwaukee. He had 19 the next night against New Jersey, and the streak had rolled on ever since.
“You tip your hat to a guy who just cares about winning and making the right play,” Reaves said. “That’s what he’s done his whole career.”
James was held under 10 points twice in the playoffs during the regular-season streak, once in 2011 and again in 2014. Jordan still has the longest streak, counting playoffs, of double-digit scoring games at 1,045.
Including playoffs, James' streak ended at 865 consecutive 10-point games.
It would take a long, long time for someone to catch James’ regular-season total. Houston’s Kevin Durant now has the longest streak at 267 games — meaning he’d have to play until he’s at least 49 or so to break the record. The next-longest streak is by Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has 170 consecutive double-digit efforts.
Gilgeous-Alexander could catch James — that is, if he keeps the streak going for another 14 years, when he’ll be 41.
“He’s such an unselfish player,” Lakers center Jake LaRavia said of James. “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.”
James reaching double figures was usually an afterthought long before the start of fourth quarters. During the streak, he had reached the 10-point mark through three quarers 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 that night. 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.”
By his own description, he’s not in rhythm yet, after missing the entire preseason and all but six games of the regular season with an injury — and it showed as he missed his first six shots on Thursday, with three of them not even close.
And he remembers all the times he's been criticized for passing the ball in big moments. He always said the right play is the right play, and those words rung true again Thursday.
“I remember everything that’s been negatively said about me and my game throughout my career,” James said. “And that aspect has been one of the most foolish things I’ve ever heard as far as making the right pass, making the right play. We are in the business of winning basketball games and my whole life I’ve just played the game that way. I’ve taught the game that way. I’ve won at every single level I’ve played at by playing the game that way.”
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