Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James owned the spotlight Tuesday by setting the NBA’s all-time scoring record, although the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder left their mark on the proceedings by earning a 133-130 victory.
James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record of 38,387 points on a fallaway jumper from just beyond the free-throw line with 10.9 seconds remaining in the third quarter. He finished with 38 points in the game to give him 38,390 in his 20-year-career.
Sign up to receive the daily top stories from the National Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.
Thanks for signing up!
A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.
The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points and dished out eight assists for the Thunder, while Jalen Williams added 25 points. The Thunder led by as many as 15 points in the first half and were up by 13 in the third quarter, but James’ milestone basket brought Los Angeles within 104-99 heading into the final period.
The Lakers tied the game at 106-106 on a hoop by Rui Hachimura with 9:34 remaining, but a 12-0 run by the Thunder, capped by a layup from Josh Giddey, gave the visitors a 118-106 advantage with seven minutes left. Kenrich Williams’ dunk with 6.6 seconds left gave the Thunder a six-point edge. Los Angeles halved the deficit on a 3-pointer by Patrick Beverley with 1.3 seconds to go.
Nuggets 146, Timberwolves 112
Nikola Jokic had 20 points, 16 assists and 12 rebounds for his 19th triple-double of the season and host Denver scored a season high in points versus Minnesota.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 30 points and Aaron Gordon finished with 24 as Denver produced season highs in points for a quarter (49 in the first) and a half (79 in the first).
Anthony Edwards and Luka Garza had 19 points apiece for the Timberwolves. D’Angelo Russell scored 10 before being ejected in the third quarter.
Suns 116, Nets 112
Deandre Ayton tied a career high with 35 points and grabbed 15 rebounds as Phoenix held on to win in Brooklyn, despite a record-breaking night by the Nets’ Cam Thomas.
Ayton made 14 of 18 shots as the Suns won for the ninth time in 11 games. He also converted a tiebreaking three-point play with 3:54 remaining in the third quarter, and Phoenix never trailed again.
Thomas scored 43 points after pouring in 47 and 44 in his previous two games. He became the first player in franchise history with three straight 40-point games and scored 13 of his points in the fourth. At 21 years, 117 days, Thomas also became the youngest player in NBA history to score at least 40 points in three straight games.
Knicks 102, Magic 98
Jalen Brunson scored 25 points and Julius Randle added 22 points, 14 rebounds and six assists as New York rallied to win against host Orlando.
Immanuel Quickley scored 18 points and RJ Barrett added 15 for New York, which has won two straight and five of its last eight. Markelle Fultz scored 21 points to lead Orlando, which led for much of the game but was outscored 36-29 in the fourth quarter.
Leading by three with 3.5 seconds left, the Knicks fouled Banchero instead of allowing the rookie to attempt a game-tying 3-pointer. After making the first free throw, Banchero’s second attempt was rebounded by Randle, who made two foul shots for the final margin.
Pelicans 116, Hawks 107
Brandon Ingram scored 30 points and Jonas Valanciunas had a double-double as host New Orleans beat Atlanta.
Valanciunas finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds, CJ McCollum scored 21 points, Trey Murphy III had 16 and Herbert Jones had 11 points and 10 rebounds as the Pelicans won their third straight after a 10-game losing streak.
Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 22 points to lead the Hawks. Dejounte Murray had 19, Trae Young had 16 points and 16 assists, John Collins scored 15 points and Clint Capela added 13.
Grizzlies 104, Bulls 89
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 13 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter to help ignite a pivotal 32-14 period for Memphis en route to a win over visiting Chicago.
Chicago — coming into Memphis on a three-game winning streak and playing the second leg of a back-to-back — erased a 10-point halftime deficit thanks to a 36-23 third quarter. The teams went back and forth for the first five minutes of the final period before the Grizzlies went on a decisive 10-0 run. The burst was part of a longer 22-7 surge that spanned the game’s final 7 1/2 minutes.
Jackson led the charge with support from Ja Morant, who finished with a game-high 34 points, and Brandon Clarke, who came off the bench for 13 points. Nikola Vucevic led Chicago, playing without DeMar DeRozan (hip), scoring 28 points and pulling down a game-high 17 rebounds.
–Field Level Media
Check out our sports section for the latest news and analysis. Care for a wager? Head to our sports betting section for news and odds.