A final sacrifice fly by LeBron James leads to Rui Hachimura’s game-winner
LeBron James just let it be his the greatest unbreakable record dies so the Los Angeles Lakers could live. With the Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors tied in the final seconds in Toronto, James brought the ball home with eight points on a brutal 4-of-16 shooting night.
Another bucket would have kept his historic streak in double figures alive. Instead, he drove, drew the defense and shot the ball Rui Hachimura on the wing, who buried a 3-pointer at the buzzer to seal the 123-120 win.
That pass ended James’ streak of 1,297 consecutive regular-season games with at least 10 points, a streak that began in 2007 and may never be matched. For the first time in 18 years, James finished the game in single digitseight points, six rebounds and 11 assists in 35 minutes, per ESPN’s Goal and Multiple Reports.
In the night when his shot left himthe rest of the Lakers had his back. Austin Reaves went nuclear, dropping 44 points and 10 assists on 13-of-21 shooting, while DeAndre Ayton added 17 points and eight rebounds as Los Angeles moved to 16-5 on the season.
It fits the story. James’ two decades are defined by his passing brain as much as his records. On this night, the two finally collided. He could force a retreat to chase 10 points, and no one would begrudge him. Instead, he trusted Rui Hachimura, lost the streak, and won the game.
If this is how the longest hitting streak ever ends with a game-winning 3-pointer, it’s hard to imagine a more LeBron way of doing it.
2025-12-05 03:12:00
