James Passes Duncan for 5th on All-Time Playoff Scoring List
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James moved up a notch on the NBA's all-time playoff scoring list during Wednesday's 123-98 win over the Atlanta Hawks, passing San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan to take sole possession of fifth place, per ESPN Stats & Info.
James poured in 27 points to bring his career playoff total to 5,163, which puts him 17 ahead of Duncan (5,146) and just 87 behind fourth-place Shaquille O'Neal (5,250).
Third-place Kobe Bryant will likely be out of reach until at least next season, having recently finished his career with 5,640 playoff points, just 347 shy of all-time leader Michael Jordan (5,987).
It's seemingly just a matter of time before James takes the record for himself, as he's only 31 years old and hasn't missed out on the playoffs since his second season (2004-05) in the NBA.
He was on top of his game on Wednesday against Atlanta, sinking nine of his 15 field-goal attempts and four of his six three-point tries, though he did miss four of his nine free throws.
James also added four rebounds, five assists and three steals while turning the ball over two times in just 28 minutes during the blowout.
In addition to contributing to a 2-0 series lead, his big performance helped the Cavaliers set a new NBA single-game record (playoffs or regular season) with 25 three-pointers made, per ESPN Stats & Info.
