LeBron James Makes History as Lakers Head into 2026 All-Star Break
The Lakers handed the Mavericks their 9th straight loss, led by LeBron James, who became the oldest player in NBA history to record a triple-double.
LeBron secured his first triple-double of the season with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists in Thursday’s victory.
The Lakers enter the break having won 7 of their last 11 games and their 5th straight against Dallas.
Their last two losses came at the hands of the #1 seed OKC Thunder without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and to the #2 seed San Antonio Spurs, in which Doncic, James, Reaves, Smart, and Ayton did not play.
Doncic has been out for a week due to a hamstring injury he sustained last Thursday against the 76ers. He is, however, expected to be a limited participant this Sunday at the All-Star game held at the Intuit Dome and should be back on the floor when the Lakers resume play next Friday against the Clippers. Coach Redick also expects DeAndre Ayton (knee soreness) to return to the lineup after the break.
LeBron and the Lakers’ Dominant Outing
James currently has the second most triple-doubles in Lakers history behind Magic Johnson. Last night was his 123rd career triple-double and his 50th with the Lakers. LeBron is also 36 assists away from being 5th in all-time Lakers assists leaders.
James scored 14 points in the first quarter and set the tone for the rest of the game. Austin Reaves had 18 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench. He also shot 5-10 from the field. Rui Hachimura was L.A.’s second leading scorer with 21 points on an efficient 9-13 shooting night in 35 minutes. He nailed 3 of his 4 three-point attempts.
Jaxson Hayes started in place of DeAndre Ayton and had himself 16 points on 8-10 field goals made to go along with 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and a block. Luke Kennard continues to prove to be a winning player and a positive addition to the Lakers’ bench. He always seems to make the right play whenever he’s out there, and he left the game with 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists, shooting 3-4 from the field.
The 124-104 victory puts the Lakers at 33-21, the 5th seed in the West, and just 1.5 games behind the Nuggets for 3rd. The final 28-game stretch begins in a week with L.A. hoping for a strong and healthy finish to the season.
James, Doncic, and Reaves have only played 10 games together so far, and if the trio can stay available, they’ll be a formidable opponent heading into the postseason.
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