In his return to Madison Square Garden Tuesday night, LeBron James finished with his first triple-double of the season as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New York Knicks 129-123 in overtime, moving within 89 points of breaking the NBA career scoring record and moving into fourth place on the assist list.
James finished with 28 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds, giving him 38,299 points for his career. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar still holds the all-time scoring record with 38,387 points.
Although James has never had any intention of becoming the top scorer in the history of the NBA, he will soon achieve that position. Additionally, he’s an excellent passer, and he’s able to combine the two perhaps better than anyone else, making him one of the happiest players around.
“I didn’t get to this point in my career by thinking about records or how many points I have, whatever the case might be,” James said. “I just play the game the right way. I approach the game every night only trying to be a triple threat by scoring, rebounding, assisting, defending, and may the chips fall where they may.”
James has shown again Tuesday that he is more than a scorer. As time was running out, he fed Dennis Schroder for a 3-pointer that broke a 118-all tie with 3:13 left, grabbed his 10th rebound, and then powered to the basket with 19 seconds left, giving his team 127-121.
NBA SCORES & NEWS: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers & New York Knicks Updates
“He’s just doing it all,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “That’s what great players do. That’s what all-time greats do, and he’s right up there at the top of the list with all of them.”
Davis added 27 points and nine rebounds as the Lakers won their first game of the trip following two straight losses. Both James and Davis sat out Monday’s loss in Brooklyn.
For the Knicks, who lost their second straight game, Jalen Brunson scored 37 points and Julius Randle had 23 points and 12 rebounds.
“We’re scoring plenty, that’s not our issue,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “So we’ve got to shore up our defense.”
NBA SCORES & NEWS: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers & New York Knicks Updates
When James fed Troy Brown Jr. for a 3-pointer with his eighth assist, and then set up Thomas Bryant for a dunk, he moved ahead of Mark Jackson and Steve Nash into fourth place in assists with 10,338.
The Lakers’ newly acquired Rui Hachimura had 19 points and nine rebounds, while Russell Westbrook contributed 17 points and eight assists, three of which came in overtime.
