Rui Hachimura on Thursday drilled a buzzer-beating three-pointer to lift the Los Angeles Lakers to a 123-120 NBA victory over the Toronto Raptors as LeBron James’s incredible streak of double-digit scoring games ended.
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.
James scored eight points and handed out 11 assists, including the pass from the top of the key to Hachimura in the corner for the game-winner.
Photo: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
“That was crazy,” Japanese forward Hachimura said. “I never had a game-winner before.”
James saw his streak of 1,297 games with 10 or more points end — a run that began in January 2007.
However, the league’s all-time leading scorer said he did not hesitate to dish to Hachimura on the final play, with his path to the basket blocked and 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.”
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 were to continue their road trip against the Celtics in Boston yesterday after press time.
The Celtics rolled past the last-placed Wizards 146-101 in Washington 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.
In Philadelphia, 76ers rookie V.J. Edgecombe’s put-back basket with nine-tenths of a second left lifted the hosts to a 99-98 victory over the Golden State Warriors.
Tyrese Maxey sealed the win with a block of De’Anthony Melton at the buzzer and the Sixers eked out the win in a game in which they led by as many as 24.
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, who led the Sixers with 35 points, missed a jumper, but Edgecombe was there for a second-chance go-ahead basket.
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