NBA news: LeBron James sees 18-year streak end in LA Lakers victory over Toronto Raptors
LeBron James’ historic scoring streak may have ended in Toronto, but his late-game decision-making proved that his basketball instincts remain as sharp as ever.
In this article, Sports News Blitz’s Noah Ngcobo breaks down how James’ selfless play helped the Lakers secure a dramatic win despite the end of an 18-year run.
A night that closed one chapter but highlighted another
For nearly two decades, LeBron James delivered double-digit scoring nights with clockwork consistency.
That remarkable run finally stopped in Toronto, yet the Los Angeles Lakers still walked away with a dramatic win that said as much about James as the streak ever did.
An 18-year run reaches its final whistle
James finished with eight points in the win over the Toronto Raptors, bringing an end to a stretch of 1,297 consecutive games with at least 10 points.
The sequence had begun in January of 2007 during his Cleveland years and carried him through 19 seasons and more than 6000 days of work.
This time, his touch deserted him. He converted four of 17 shots and missed all five attempts from beyond the arc. He did not earn a single trip to the free-throw line.
His scoring night sagged, yet his influence survived in other ways.
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The decisive moment arrives
With the game tied in the final seconds, the ball swung into James’ hands. He could have chased history and hunted for a whistle at the rim.
Instead, he surveyed a collapsing defence, spotted Rui Hachimura alone in the left corner, and delivered a pass that arrived exactly where it needed to be. Hachimura buried the shot as time expired and sealed a 123 to 120 Lakers win.
James later explained that the choice required no hesitation. He simply made the correct basketball read, something he said had been drilled into him from the beginning.
The four-time champion noted that the game always rewards players who trust the right action rather than the highlight moment.
Team-mates stand behind their leader
Austin Reaves, who exploded for 44 points and 10 assists in the absence of Luka Doncic, praised James for prioritising the win instead of the scoring mark.
Reaves pointed out that the veteran’s entire career has shown the same commitment to the game’s fundamentals.
Head coach JJ Redick echoed that view. Redick acknowledged that James knew exactly where he stood in terms of scoring totals, yet still chose the selfless play.
According to the coach, players who stay faithful to the spirit of the game usually find good fortune, and Hachimura’s winner was proof of that.
Other team-mates shared similar thoughts. Jake LaRavia described James as an unselfish player whose instincts lean toward making the best play for the group, even when it costs him a personal milestone.
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A place among the all-time great streaks
James’ run began on January 6, 2007, the night after his last single-digit outing before this week.
His sequence far surpassed the previous benchmark held by Michael Jordan, who once recorded 866 such games.
Kareem Abdul Jabbar is the only other player to surpass 700 straight.
The significance beyond the numbers
The end of the streak will be logged in record books, but the play that ended it will likely define the night even more.
James demonstrated the same approach that built his legacy in the first place. His scoring record slipped away, yet his values remained unchanged.
The Lakers returned home with a win, a reminder that the result has always mattered more to him than the spotlight.
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