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Lakers' Playoff Hopes Doubted by Fans After Thunder Loss as LeBron James Sets Record
February 8, 2023
On a night that was all about celebrating LeBron James becoming the NBA's all-time scoring leader, the Los Angeles Lakers playoff hopes took a hit with a 133-130 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the all-time scoring list with a fadeaway late in the third quarter.
The four-time NBA MVP finished the game with 38 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Russell Westbrook was the only other Lakers player to score at least 15 points.
Despite the historic moment for James, the Lakers are still reeling as they try to make some headway into the playoff race. They are 6-9 in 15 games since a five-game winning streak that ended on Jan. 7.
James did allow himself to get emotional in the wake of his personal achievement. Abdul-Jabbar was at Crypto.com Arena to give him a ball in a symbolic passing of the torch.
ESPN's Dave McMenamin noted the Lakers credentialed more than 200 media members, which is "what's seen typically for a late-round playoff game" because everyone anticipated the historic moment happening on Tuesday night.
The moment absolutely lived up to the hype, between the emotion on James' face and an electric scene in the arena when the record-breaking basket happened.
But the story for the Lakers was the same as it has been all season: James doing everything he can to help them win, but the talent around him coming up short. They are five games under .500 and sit in 13th place in the Western Conference with four games remaining before the All-Star break.