LeBron James's Legendary Scoring Run Concludes, However Los Angeles Secure Win Over Toronto.

LeBron James was aware his monumental streak of reaching double digits was in danger. At the decisive instant, though, he wasn't bothered.

The smart move involved passing the basketball – and he executed. Following that play, the unprecedented record finished.

James's unprecedented streak of over 1,200 straight regular-season outings scoring at least ten ended during a recent game, when the NBA's all-time scoring leader had only a mere eight points during the Lakers' 123-120 victory over the Toronto Raptors. He delivered the clutch helper, finding teammate Rui Hachimura to hit a three-point shot at the buzzer.

“None,” James said in response on the record concluding. “We won.”

A Team-First Choice Secures Victory

He might have attempted to win the game – while also extending his record – with the last shot, instead, he decided to dish the ball to Hachimura in the left corner. Hachimura made the shot, with LeBron raised his arms with his hands in the air.

You have to play basketball correctly. You always make the right play,” James noted. “That’s just been how I operate. It's how I was taught the game. I've played that way throughout my career.”

“LeBron is acutely aware of how many points he's scored at any point,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick. He acted like he’s done so many times.”

The Run's Final Moments

James re-entered the contest one last time at 5:23 remaining, the result and his personal record up for grabs. At that stage, he had a mere six points on 3-of-15 shooting then.

He got a bucket with under two minutes remaining to level the contest and missed a mid-range jumper at one minute to go that might have taken him into double figures.

He didn’t take another shot – even though he had a chance. Austin Reaves found him with a few seconds left, but James decided to make the pass instead of shooting.

The basketball deities, if you do it the right way, they tend to repay you,” the coach concluded.

A Look Back at an Unparalleled Run

This incredible run began on Jan. 6, 2007. It was, by far the greatest streak of its kind in professional basketball: MJ previously held a streak of 866 consecutive double-digit scoring games, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had 787 such games, and The Mailman was fourth on the list of 575 games.

“He’s such an unselfish player,” noted Lakers center a fellow Laker.

“He’s just playing hoops. The chance was there but due to who he is on the court and his character as an individual, he executed the team play, dished to Hachimura and claimed the victory.”

Scoring in double figures had long been a formality long before the final period. Over the course of the record, he had achieved double figures by the beginning of the final quarter 1,266 times prior to Thursday.

However, two of those rare games below ten points after three periods had occurred just days before: He recorded nine points going into the fourth versus the Mavericks on 28 November, then had six points before the fourth quarter against Phoenix on Monday night.

James managed to keep the streak alive in the Phoenix game. In the following contest, it finished – and he celebrated regardless.

I only ever make the best play. That comes naturally, win, lose or draw,” James affirmed. If you make the right play, the game gods are always rewarding me.”