LeBron James Snaps Historic 18-Year Streak, Stuns Fans in Lakers' Win vs. Raptors

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James' phenomenal streak of 10 or more points scored per game has finally ended after 1,297 matchups and nearly two decades.

The 40-year-old James finished with six points in a 123-120 win on Thursday evening at the Toronto Raptors. It was an off-night for the 23-year veteran, who shot just 4-of-17 from the field and missed all five of his three-pointers. He did contribute 11 assists and six rebounds.

James made the game's biggest play, driving the lane and then kicking the ball out to Rui Hachimura for the game-winning three with no time left.

The last time James did not hit 10 points was on Jan. 5, 2007, when the then-Cleveland Cavalier finished with eight points in a 95-86 road win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

James then went nearly 18 years of scoring 10 or more points per game over his fantastic career.

That streak is finally over now, although the Lakers were victorious even without Luka Dončić, who was out for personal reasons.

Austin Reaves led the Lakers in Luka's absence, scoring 44 points and adding 11 assists. Four other players scored in double digits, led by Deandre Ayton and his 17 points.

James wasn't one of those players, but it didn't matter as the Lakers got the W.

James has gotten off to a slower start offensively since making his season debut on Nov. 18 after missing a month with sciatica on his right side. He's averaged 14.0 points on 41.3 percent shooting, a pretty large dip below last year's figures of 24.4 PPG on 51.3 percent from the field.

Perhaps the legend who has remarkably defied time over the years is finally seeing it catch up to him. Or maybe he's shaking off some rust after a stunted offseason and a prolonged period away from the game.

Regardless, James has showcased that he can make a great impact even when he's not scoring. The fact that his 10-point streak lasted longer than the vast majority of most NBA players' careers also bewildered fans, who praised James en masse.

Most importantly, the Lakers got the win to move to 16-5 overall, good enough for second in the Western Conference. They'll look to improve to 9-1 in their last 10 games when they visit the Boston Celtics on Friday evening.