Lakers win with a buzzer-beater against the Raptors! LeBron assisted in the final moments, ending an 18-year record!

Two major popular teams, providing an eventful day of highlights.

The Warriors, trailing by more than 20 at one point, fought back hard but were denied a comeback by rookie VJ Echikume’s decisive putback dunk.

After switching channels, the Lakers pulled off a last-second win against the Raptors.

Stats: Reeves scored 44 points, 5 rebounds, 11 assists; Ayton had 17 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks; LaRavia contributed 14 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals; Hachimura added 12 points, 3 rebounds; Smith posted 12 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals; LeBron finished with 8 points, 6 rebounds, 11 assists.

Doncic was absent as he has returned to Slovenia, preparing for the arrival of his second child.

Barnes recorded 23 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 blocks; Ingram had 20 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists; Walter put up 17 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists; Mamukelashvili added 13 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals; Quickley scored 13 points, 5 assists, 2 steals; Boyles had 12 points; Butler contributed 10 points, 3 rebounds.

In the final play, Hachimura caught LeBron’s pass in the corner and hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer, securing a narrow 1-point road victory for the Lakers.

But this came at a “cost”:

LeBron had the chance to take the shot himself, continuing his streak of double-digit scoring or forcing overtime, but he chose instead to pass to Hachimura, who was open on the baseline.

As a result, LeBron’s streak of 1,297 consecutive games with double-digit points came to an end.

The last time he failed to score double digits in a regular season game was January 5, 2007...

Back then, playing for the Cavaliers against the Bucks, he shot 3-for-13 and finished with 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists.

Since that day, he set the longest consecutive double-digit scoring streak in NBA history, lasting more than 18 years.

When he last missed double digits, the NBA world looked like this:

Actually, the streak was already in jeopardy in the previous game.

Against the Suns, LeBron scored only 6 points through three quarters, barely extending the streak to 1,297 games with clutch free throws and a three-pointer in the final quarter.

With the outcome already decided, he stayed on the court but faced criticism for “padding stats.”

From a fan’s perspective, ending the streak this way today feels like a “good thing.”

If you watched the game, you’d understand that for LeBron and the Lakers, the streak was both a record and an invisible “burden.”

Everyone was thinking about it.

A perfect example was a possession where Reeves had a chance to take the shot himself but awkwardly passed to LeBron.

LeBron himself looked uncomfortable on the court.

He shot 4-for-17 and struggled against the Raptors’ wing defenders.

Now that the streak is over, he can play with a lighter mindset.

If Hachimura had missed the final shot, the internet reaction would have been completely different.

Fans will get used to it.

But for LeBron, this is simply how he plays the game.

His postgame comments were:

“I wanted to set him up for the finish. I looked at the Raptors’ bench, and obviously, we didn’t want to call a timeout. Our offense was flowing well. Austin was hot all night. I saw their coach signaling for a possible double-team on Barnes, so I wanted Hachimura to stay on the same side as my go-to finisher.”

Fortunately, Hachimura came through.

Doncic will likely miss two games.

In his absence, Reeves has certainly been more “aggressive.”

Tonight, he shot 13-for-21, 5-for-11 from three, and 13-for-15 from the free-throw line, finishing with 44 points, 5 rebounds, and 11 assists.

A former undrafted player, he’s getting closer to his first NBA All-Star appearance.

Lakers’ owner, get ready to roll out the money truck.

You might not always like his style of play, but you have to admit:

This season, Reeves is playing at a high level.