Lakers top Raptors on James' decisive final pass

On Dec. 5, the Los Angeles Lakers took on the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. With the score tied at 120 and only 3.7 seconds left, 41-year-old LeBron James held the ball at the top of the key. Having scored only eight points to that point, James faced a critical choice: attempt the final shot himself or find an open teammate for a better look.

If James had scored just two more points, he would have extended his streak of double-digit scoring games that began on Jan. 7, 2007, against the New Jersey Nets, now the Brooklyn Nets, during his time with Cleveland. Entering the previous game, James had reached at least 10 points in 1,297 consecutive regular-season appearances, the longest scoring streak in NBA history. The second-longest streak is held by retired legend Michael Jordan, who reached 866 games.

With a field goal percentage of only 23.5 percent that night, James chose to pass rather than chase the record. After a quick dribble, he kicked the ball out to Rui Hachimura, 27, who stood unguarded in the corner. Hachimura buried the three-pointer as the buzzer sounded, sealing a dramatic 123-120 win for the Lakers. Sports Illustrated praised James, noting that although his streak, which began before the first iPhone was released in 2007, ended, he secured the victory with a remarkable assist.

Although James’ historic streak of nearly 18 years and 11 months came to an end, he lifted both arms in celebration as Hachimura’s shot dropped. After the game, James said, “I’m not disappointed my streak ended because we won. I always try to make the right choice.”

James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with 42,268 points, is now in his league-record 23rd season. His scoring has declined sharply this year, averaging 15.2 points per game, due in part to injuries including sciatica. Since debuting in the 2003-04 season, he had never averaged fewer than 20 points per game in a season until last year. Instead, he has evolved into the Lakers’ primary playmaker, relying on his exceptional court vision. James is averaging 7.2 assists per game this season and led both teams with 11 assists in the matchup against Toronto.


Yun-Cheol Jeong trigger@donga.com