TORONTO — LeBron James was adamant that his historic nearly two-decade hot streak ended.
Rui Hachimura hit a triumphant three as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 123-120 on Thursday. James, one of the best NBA players of all time, scored just eight points for Los Angeles, snapping his record streak of 1,297 consecutive games with double-digit scoring in the regular season.
James was asked how he felt about completing the race, which dates back to January 5, 2007.
“No,” James said, standing at his locker. “We won.”
James still finished with 11 assists and six rebounds for the Lakers (16-5).
James, 40, missed training camp for the first time in his storied 23-year career due to sciatic nerve irritation. He also missed the first 14 games of Los Angeles' season.
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“I'm still finding my rhythm, figuring out everything offensively, knowing that I can still make an impact on the floor when I'm out there,” James said. “But I'm still trying to feel it.”
Austin Reaves scored 44 points with 10 assists, more than making up for the absence of Luka Doncic, an early NBA MVP candidate. He did not travel to Toronto with the Lakers due to personal reasons.
Scottie Barnes had a double-double for the Raptors (15-8) with 23 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. He is also primarily responsible for James being shut out in the loss.
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“I thought Scotty did an outstanding job with him,” said Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic, who noted that James didn't make any free throws, was 4 of 17 on field goals and missed all five of his 3-point attempts. “A big reason was Scotty, who put him in difficult positions and difficult situations.
“At the same time, James is a player who is really good on the ball. Because of his size and understanding of the game, he sees the court very well.”
Barnes admired the length of James' streak, but also praised his unselfishness and willingness to pass, including Hachimura's game-winning pass.
“Some guys are just natural scorers, and he dominated the game for so long, you wouldn't even be surprised. That's LeBron,” Barnes said. “At that point, you wouldn’t be surprised if he did (it).
“His athleticism, the way he reads the game, how fast he is, how strong, physically. He's pretty hard to guard and hard to stop (him), that's why he's LeBron James.”
Raptors guard Ja'Kobe Walter, who at age 21 was born a year after James began his NBA career, said it was a shock to be part of the defense that ended the streak.
“I grew up watching him, and to know that he always had that streak and it ended today, it's really cool just to be a part of it,” Walter said. “But it’s pretty crazy to think about.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 4, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
