Basketball superstar LeBron James made NBA history Tuesday night, breaking the all-time record for career victories as the Los Angeles Lakers dominated the Cleveland Cavaliers 127-113.
James reached his 1,229th combined regular season and playoff win, surpassing Hall of Fame legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s previous mark. The four-time champion contributed 14 points, five rebounds, and six assists in the milestone 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 points and 12 assists after returning from a one-game suspension for accumulating his 16th technical foul of the season. The 27-year-old star also achieved a personal milestone, becoming the third-youngest player to reach 15,000 career points at 27 years and 31 days old.
The victory improved Los Angeles to 50-26, marking their 13th win in the past 14 contests. The Lakers secured both a playoff berth and the Pacific Division championship earlier that evening when Phoenix lost, positioning them third in the Western Conference standings, two games ahead of Denver.
For Cleveland, Jarrett Allen topped the scoring with 18 points, while James Harden added 17 and Donovan Mitchell contributed 10 points with six assists. The Cavaliers fell to 47-29 but remain just one win away from clinching their own playoff spot, sitting one game behind third-place New York in the Eastern Conference.
Los Angeles broke the game open during a dominant third quarter, outscoring Cleveland 45-30 to build a commanding 110-83 advantage. Austin Reaves chipped in 19 points for the Lakers, while Deandre Ayton recorded 18 points and nine rebounds. The victory also marked the 100th win for Lakers head coach JJ Redick.
The Lakers held a 65-53 halftime lead behind Doncic’s 20 first-half points and seven assists, plus Ayton’s 11 points and six rebounds. Allen shot efficiently for Cleveland, making nine of 11 field goal attempts for his 18 points, though Mitchell managed just two points in the opening half.
Doncic showed no rust from his suspension, immediately finding his rhythm by scoring 14 points on 10 shots while playing the entire first quarter. Cleveland actually led 34-32 after the opening period thanks to nine points from Harden and eight from Allen.
Several players missed the contest due to injuries. Lakers guard Marcus Smart sat out his fourth consecutive game with a right ankle bruise, while Cleveland was without Sam Merrill due to left hamstring soreness. Cavaliers forwards Jaylon Tyson and Dean Wade also didn’t make the trip because of toe and ankle injuries, respectively.
