LeBron James' Heroics Seal Crucial Win for the Lakers
LeBron James is nothing short of unstoppable.
The Los Angeles Lakers icon maintained his impressive streak of scoring in double digits, then dramatically clinched a victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday with a last-second tip-in off a missed shot by Luka Dončić.
This victory ended a losing streak of three games for the Lakers.
James entered the final quarter with a mere three points, having made none of his six shot attempts, but scored on four successive possessions within three minutes, bringing his total to 11. He seems acutely aware of sustaining his streak.
This scoring burst was part of a 10-0 Lakers run that pushed them to a 13-point advantage early in the fourth quarter. However, the game nearly spiraled out of control when the Pacers responded with their own 13-0 run, even briefly taking the lead. The Lakers regained enough composure to lead by six points with just two minutes to go, but Indiana fought back, scoring on three straight possessions to snatch the lead.
This set the stage for James to score his 13th point in thrilling fashion, marking the end of a scoreless stretch since reaching 11 points. He concluded the night with 13 rebounds and seven assists, shooting 4-of-12. Dončić outshone overall, ending with 34 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.
Initially, James wasn’t sure if his game-winning tip-in beat the buzzer.
LeBron hasn’t scored less than 10 points in any game since January 5, 2007—over 18 years ago. This means the last time he didn’t score double digits, some of his current fans weren’t even born. It’s a testament to both his resilience and performance, as many such streaks are broken due to injuries requiring early exits.
The second-longest streak is held by Michael Jordan, spanning 866 games.
James’ timely performance alleviated some pressure off the Lakers. The team has been dealing with considerable injuries recently—most notably, James’ own two-week absence due to a groin strain—but returned to full strength last weekend. It was shocking, then, when they were soundly defeated by the Chicago Bulls in James’ return.
A subsequent heavy loss to the Orlando Magic followed, but the Lakers reclaimed a win on Wednesday. They now possess a 44-28 record, positioning them fifth in the Western Conference and just half a game behind the Memphis Grizzlies, who could be their first-round opponents in the NBA playoffs.
Wednesday didn’t resolve all of the Lakers’ issues, as they have only 10 regular-season games left. Boasting the roster of a true contender, the real challenge lies in regaining their health and momentum, much like their previous eight-game winning streak, before the stakes are heightened in the postseason.