No stat shows LeBron James’ consistency and longevity like this one. (Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images)
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / Reuters)
LeBron James is inevitable.
The Los Angeles Lakers star saved his quietly legendary streak of double-digit scoring, then loudly won the game against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday with a tip-in buzzer-beater off a Luka Dončić miss.
James entered the fourth quarter with only three points on 0-for-6 shooting from the field, but scored on four straight possessions in the span of three minutes to bump his total to 11. He appears to be very aware of the streak.
The flurry coincided with a 10-0 Lakers run to take a 13-point lead early in the fourth. The game nearly turned into a disaster, though, as the Pacers erased the lead with their own 13-0 run and even took the lead at one point. Los Angeles took back control enough to lead by six with two minutes left, but Indiana responded with scores on three straight possessions to take the lead.
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That set up James, who was scoreless since reaching 11 points, to get up to 13 points on the night in dramatic fashion. He also finished with 13 rebound and seven assists, with 4-of-12 shooting.
James still hasn’t scored fewer than 10 points in a game since Jan. 5 2007, a span of more than 18 years, meaning there are legal adults who haven’t been alive the last time James didn’t have two numbers in his scoring column. It is a health accomplishment as much as performance, as many of these streaks often die because a player was forced to leave early with an injury.
The second-longest streak belongs to Michael Jordan with 866.
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