LeBron James made basketball history Tuesday night, securing his record-breaking 1,229th career victory as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 127-113 at home.
The milestone win moved James past Hall of Fame legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most combined regular season and playoff victories in NBA history. James, who already holds the league’s all-time scoring record, contributed 14 points, five rebounds, and six assists in the victory against his former team, where he played 11 seasons across two different periods.
Luka Doncic led the Lakers’ offensive charge with an impressive 42-point, 12-assist performance. The victory marked Los Angeles’ 13th win in their past 14 contests and secured both a playoff berth and the Pacific Division championship after Phoenix fell earlier in the evening.
The Lakers now hold the third position in the Western Conference standings, maintaining a two-game cushion over the Denver Nuggets.
Doncic, returning from a one-game suspension, achieved another milestone by becoming the third-youngest player to reach 15,000 career points at 27 years and 31 days old. James still holds that record, achieving the feat at 25 years and 79 days.
For Cleveland, Jarrett Allen topped the scoring with 18 points, while James Harden contributed 17. The Cavaliers remain one game behind the third-place New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference.
In other NBA action Tuesday:
Detroit dominated Toronto 127-116 behind Jalen Duren’s 31 points and nine rebounds. Daniss Jenkins added 21 points for the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons, who have won 10 of their last 13 games. RJ Barrett paced the Raptors with 24 points.
Orlando snapped a recent slump by beating Phoenix 115-111, with Desmond Bane scoring 21 points and Jalen Suggs adding 20. The Magic had lost seven of eight before the victory. Devin Booker led Phoenix with 34 points in the losing effort.
Charlotte crushed Brooklyn 117-86 in a dominant performance, with Brandon Miller scoring 25 points in just three quarters of play. Miles Bridges contributed 19 points as the Hornets improved to 29-13 over their past 42 games.
Houston rolled past New York 111-94, led by Kevin Durant’s game-high 27 points. Reed Sheppard provided 20 points off the bench as the Rockets shot 53.8% from the field. Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 22 points in their third straight loss.
Milwaukee ended a four-game losing streak by defeating Dallas 123-99. Ryan Rollins scored 24 points with nine assists and seven rebounds, while Kyle Kuzma added 20 points. Cooper Flagg had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the struggling Mavericks.
Portland earned a crucial 114-104 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, moving within half a game of the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference. Jrue Holiday led the Trail Blazers with 30 points, while Deni Avdija recorded 28 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. Kawhi Leonard scored 23 points for the Clippers.
