Among other things, LeBron James addressed the end of his historic 10-point scoring streak on Thursday night, but his reaction was not one you might expect. Instead of disappointment, he was beaming with pride after the win, which ended on an assist to Rui Hachimura.
“Just playing the game the right way, you always make the right play. That has been my MO, that is how I was taught the game, I have done that my whole career,” he said, via Spectrum SportsNet. “There is not even one second of guessing that once they doubled AR and the ball got swung to me. I know it is a numbers game. We got a four on three, an advantage, and I am trying to put the ball on time, on target, right into Rui’s pocket, and he knocked it down.”
James’ 10-point streak lasted nearly 19 years and was a testament to his amazing consistency and longevity. With his scoring down this season, it was getting harder to keep it going, and he failed several attempts to cross the threshold tonight on just 4-17 shooting (23.5 percent).
As for accusations of a potential decline, the King says he needs time to get into rhythm. He is still working his way back from a sciatica injury, and it has put the four-time champion in uncharted territory, without training camp or a preseason to ramp into action.
“I am still getting into rhythm,” he said. “This is my sixth game. I have never missed a whole training camp and preseason before, let alone the first 14 games of the season. So I am still figuring out my rhythm, figuring out everything offensively. I know I can make an impact when I am out there, but I am still feeling it out.”
By James’ standards, it has been a rough season. With averages of 15.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game on 46.0 percent shooting (31.8 percent from three), this campaign has seen some of the lowest numbers of his career, and there are no signs things will get better.
Fortunately, LeBron’s priority is not his own status anyway. He wants to win, and that means he is willing to make the selfless play on every possession. Tonight, it paid off with a key victory in enemy territory, but it is just the start of what will be a critical point of the season.
As Luka Doncic takes some time off for the birth of his second child, the Lakers will need more moments like this to fuel the grind ahead. At this stage of his career, LeBron does not have to be the leading star, but he has to provide enough to keep the Lakers steady with and without Doncic.
Ultimately, LeBron has lived his entire career by trusting the right play, and tonight showed that nothing has changed. Even with a historic streak on the line, his focus stayed on securing the win and lifting the players around him. As the Lakers navigate this stretch without Luka Doncic, moments like this will matter even more. So while LeBron James may no longer be the top scorer he once was, his impact and leadership continue to shape everything this team does.
