A barely-believable LeBron James streak has finally come to an end on Friday, ending an incredible 18-year run.
However, it was a matchwinning act that’ll be what’s remembered from the Los Angeles Lakers’ 123-120 win over the Toronto Raptors.
From January 5, 2007, to today, James went 1,297 games scoring at least 10 points, but against the Raptors on Friday (AEDT), the legendary future Hall-of-Famer managed just eight points.
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It was an inefficient night for James, who shot a shallow 4-17 from the field. He also went a torrid 0-5 from downtown and did not attempt a single free throw.
But none of it mattered in the grand scheme of the result, as an incisive James pass found Rui Hachimura in the corner for the game-winning, buzzer-beating three-pointer.
The league’s all-time leading scorer said he didn’t hesitate to dish to Hachimura on the final play, with his path to the basket blocked and fellow scorer Austin Reaves also under pressure.
“Just playing the game the right way,” said James, who is in his unprecedented 23rd season.
“Always make the right play. That’s how I was taught the game.”
Hachimura only scored 12 points for the night but had the game’s most important three.
Meanwhile, with the NBA’s leading scorer Luka Doncic absent for personal reasons, Austin Reaves delivered a double-double of 44 points and 10 assists for the Lakers in a clash of East and West second-placed teams.
Scottie Barnes scored 23 points and Brandon Ingram added 20 for the Raptors, who had seven players score in double figures but dropped to third in the East behind Detroit and New York.
The Lakers continue their road trip against the Celtics in Boston on Friday.
But Hachimura’s game-winner wasn’t the night’s only one, as Philadelphia 76ers rookie phenom VJ Edgecombe rose for a putback layup with 0.9 seconds remaining to sink the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors heaved the ball up the other end of the floor in hopes of a miracle, only for Tyrese Maxey to emphatically block De’Anthony Melton’s layup as time expired to cement the 99-98 win.
Maxey typically led the 76ers with 35 points on 13-27 shooting, while Edgecombe had a serviceable 10-6-5 stat-line.
Philadelphia, which led by as many as 24 points, was outscored 32-19 by Golden State but forged enough winning plays to claim its 12th win of the campaign.
The Warriors struggled out of the gate without injured Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler. Then they saw talisman Draymond Green limp out midway through the second quarter with a foot injury after 76ers forward Dominick Barlow fell and rolled over Green’s right foot.
The Warriors, with a sterling effort from the bench led by Pat Spencer’s team-high 16 points, had clawed their way to a 98-97 lead when Edgecombe came up with a steal with 8.2 seconds left.
Maxey missed a jumper, but Edgecombe was there for the second-chance go-ahead basket.
In the nation’s capital, the Celtics rolled past the last-placed Wizards 146-101 to grab their eighth win in 10 games.
The Celtics were without ailing star Jaylen Brown. In his absence, Derrick White stepped up to score 30 points with seven rebounds, nine assists and a steal.
Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets fell on the second night of a back-to-back, losing 123-110 to the visiting Utah Jazz as Keyonte George went off for 29 points and 10 assists.
Elsewhere, the Minnesota Timberwolves moved to 14-8 on the season with a 125-116 road win over the troubled New Orleans Pelicans.