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LeBron James was aware his historic run of putting up 10+ points was in danger. When it mattered most, though, it was not his focus.

The smart move was to pass the ball – and he executed. Following that play, his remarkable run came to an end.

James's unprecedented streak of over 1,200 straight regular-season outings scoring at least ten ended on Thursday night, when basketball's greatest scorer finished with a mere eight points during the Lakers' 123-120 triumph versus Toronto. He made the clutch helper, finding teammate Rui Hachimura to hit a three-point shot at the buzzer.

“Zero,” James said when asked about the streak ending. “We won.”

An Unselfish Play Delivers Victory

He might have tried to secure the contest – and extended the streak – on the final possession, instead, he decided to make the extra pass to Hachimura in the left corner. Hachimura made the shot, and James raised his arms immediately.

You have to play the game the proper way. You always make the correct play,” James remarked. That is how I operate. That is the way I was taught to play. That's what I've done my whole career.”

He is acutely aware of how many points he has at all times,” stated Lakers coach JJ Redick. “He did it just as he has countless times.”

The Record's End Game

He returned to the floor one last time at just over five minutes left, the outcome and the streak both hanging in the balance. He had a mere six points on 3 for 15 from the field then.

He managed a basket at 1:46 left to level the contest but then missed a 14-footer with one minute to go that would have gotten him into double figures.

He didn’t take one more attempt – though the opportunity was there. A teammate gave James the ball as time wound down, but James decided to make the pass instead of shooting.

“The basketball gods, when you play it the right way, they tend to repay you,” Redick stated.

A Look Back at a Staggering Run

James's streak started back in January 2007. It was, by far the most extended streak of its kind the league has ever seen: MJ previously held a streak of 866 consecutive double-digit scoring games, Kareem recorded 787, and Karl Malone was fourth on the list at 575.

LeBron is such a team-oriented player,” said Lakers center Jake LaRavia.

“He’s just playing hoops. The chance was there but given the player he is and his character as an individual, he made the team play, passed it to Rui and we won the game.”

Scoring in double figures had typically been a guarantee early in the start of fourth quarters. Throughout his run, he had attained double figures by the beginning of the final quarter over twelve hundred times prior to Thursday.

But two of those rare single-digit games after three periods had occurred in the last week: He had nine going into the fourth against Dallas on 28 November, and then had six before the fourth quarter against Phoenix earlier in the week.

LeBron was able to keep the streak alive in the Phoenix game. In the following contest, it was over – yet he was celebrating anyway.

I only ever make the best play. That is instinctive, regardless of outcome,” James said. When you make the unselfish play, the basketball gods forever returning the favor.”