40-for-40: It’s Still LA-Bron’s City
02/29/2024
By: Jeff Yoder
LeBron James (34 Points) Hits Seven 3s to Fuel 21-Point Lakers Comeback Over Clippers (116-112) — Now 40 Away From 40,000-Point Milestone
Say what you will about the Clippers’ recent hot streak, LeBron James is still the latest Los Angeles resident to bring the Larry O’Brien trophy to the City of Angels. It’s still Bron’s city, and he made sure to remind them last night. The Lakers and Clippers met for the final regular-season intra-stadium matchup in which both teams share the same facility (Crypto.com Arena). The Clippers will move to Inglewood (Intuit Dome) to start next season. So this game mattered, and it definitely mattered to LeBron.
The Lakers trailed by 21 at one point — down by 19 to start the 4th — before James and Co. outscored the Clippers 39-16 in the 4th en route to a 116-112 comeback win. LeBron hit seven 3s in a rare deep-shooting display, including five triples in the 4th quarter where he scored 19 of his 34 points. He finished 13-for-21 (7-for-12, 3pt) with 34 points, 8 assists and 5 boards. And the magical conclusion to the shared-arena L.A. series just set the stage for more history this weekend. We’re officially on ‘Bron Watch’.
LeBron James → 40,000 Points
James now has 39,960 career points, which is already an NBA record that should stand the test of time. A mere 40 more points gives James the 40K milestone and a pretty disorienting stat for his Hall of Fame resume. Keep in mind, the 39-year-old just scored 19 in the 4th quarter to rally his team. He’s still elite. Only two other players ever broke the 35,000-point threshold. He’ll have two shots at the record between now and Monday with tonight’s game against the Wizards (10:30 pm ET) and Saturday when L.A. hosts the Nuggets (8:30 pm ET).
NBA’s All-Time Scoring List
1. LeBron James: 39,960 Points
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 38,387 Points
3. Karl Malone: 36,928 Points
4. Kobe Bryant: 33,643 Points
5. Michael Jordan: 32,292 Points
Watch: LeBron James (34 Points) Hits Seven 3s as Lakers Mount 21-Point Comeback
Other NBA Highlights
Pacers def. Pelicans (123-114)
Timberwolves def. Grizzlies (110-101)
Bulls def. Cavaliers (132-123, 2OT)
Mavericks def. Raptors (136-125)
*Luka Doncic (30-11-16) Posts Triple-Double on His Birthday
Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images