LeBron James came close to the NBA’s all-time record but couldn’t save the Los Angeles Lakers from losing 133-115 to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The 38-year-old scored 46 points to come within 178 of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record of 38,387.
James also became the first player to have a 40-point game against any NBA franchise.
“He’s playing at an incredible level right now. It’s amazing to be able to watch,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said.
James’ tally included nine career-best three-pointers along with eight rebounds and seven assists.
In his current form, James is on track to break Abdul-Jabbar’s record in two weeks.
“I’m happy for him, but we have to improve,” added Ham. “We have to help in other areas.
“We want to win games – so everyone can do something a little better, me and my team included.”
Paul George scored with 27 points for the Clippers as they earned their 10th straight win over the Lakers, a streak that dates back to the 2020-21 season opener.
The win puts the Clippers fifth in the Western Conference while the Lakers are 13th.
Elsewhere, Nikola Jokic scored the winning basket with 16 seconds left as the Denver nuggets lined the New Orleans Pelicans 99-98.
Jokic, back after a two-game absence with a hamstring injury, finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists as the Nuggets earned their 10th victory in 11 games.
