LeBron James set another milestone Thursday night, breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record for career field goals, but the Los Angeles Lakers fell 120–113 to the Denver Nuggets.
Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić each scored 28 points for Denver, with Jokić recording his 23rd triple-double of the season with 12 rebounds and 13 assists. The performance helped the Nuggets improve to 39–24 and remain ahead of the Lakers (37–25) in the tightly packed Western Conference standings.
James reached the historic mark in the first quarter with the 15,838th field goal of his 23-year career, surpassing Abdul-Jabbar. He finished with 16 points and several highlight plays, including a corkscrew reverse fast-break layup and an off-balance 18-foot turnaround jumper that helped Los Angeles cut the deficit to 64–54 at halftime.
The Lakers mounted a late push in the fourth quarter, sparked in part by three dazzling assists from James. But their comeback effort was disrupted when he injured his left elbow on a layup that trimmed the deficit to 110–106 with four minutes remaining. James briefly left the game before returning with 2:05 to play and the Lakers trailing by one, though Los Angeles was unable to take the lead down the stretch.
Luka Dončić led the Lakers with 27 points. Denver controlled much of the night after jumping out to a 16–3 start and building a 15-point lead, though turnovers — including nine by Jokić — kept Los Angeles within striking distance.
Murray scored 20 points in the first half to help the short-handed Nuggets maintain control. Denver remained without Aaron Gordon, who has been sidelined since Jan. 23 with a hamstring injury but is expected to return Friday against the New York Knicks. The Nuggets also played without Peyton Watson (hamstring), Cam Johnson (sprained right ankle) and Spencer Jones (strained right shoulder).
Los Angeles also dealt with injuries during the game, as center Deandre Ayton exited in the first half with a knee injury and did not return. Dončić also picked up his 15th technical foul of the season and will face an automatic one-game suspension if he receives another.
Up next: The Lakers host the Indiana Pacers on Friday night, while the Nuggets return home to face the New York Knicks.
