On January 22nd, Beijing time, the NBA regular season saw the Lakers defeat the Wizards at home. LeBron James played for 35 minutes, shooting 8 of 18 from the field, including 2 of 6 from three-point range, scoring 21 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, dishing out 13 assists, making 2 steals, and blocking 1 shot, with 5 turnovers and a +19 plus-minus rating. The 40-year-old James set multiple records in this game, leading the Lakers to victory while also contributing to the Wizards' 11th consecutive loss.
Facing the Wizards, who are ranked last in the league, James focused on organizing the offense at the start of the game, assisting Rui Hachimura for an easy score. When opportunities arose, he responded with strong counterattacks. In the final stages of the first quarter, James made a long pass to assist JaVale McGee for an alley-oop dunk. In the first quarter, James went 2 for 4 from the field, scoring 4 points, grabbing 4 rebounds, and dishing out 3 assists, but missed both of his three-point attempts.
In the second quarter, James finally made his first three-pointer, helping the Lakers gain the upper hand. Despite the Wizards' counterattack, James scored with mid-range shots and completed an unreasonable dunk over Jonas Valanciunas, converting it into a 2+1 play. He celebrated by shaking his shoulders on the spot, causing excitement on the Lakers' bench, with Bronny James covering his head in disbelief. James continued to score, helping the team widen the gap, and at halftime, the Lakers led 59-49, a 10-point advantage.
In the first half, James played 19 minutes, shooting 6 of 10 from the field, scoring 14 points, grabbing 5 rebounds, dishing out 7 assists, making 1 steal, and blocking 1 shot, demonstrating his all-around abilities at the age of 40.
In the third quarter, James and Anthony Davis led the Lakers to a 17-point lead, but the team's offense declined, allowing the Wizards to close the gap to single digits. Finney-Smith scored to stop the bleeding, James made two free throws, and Vincent contributed a three-pointer. At the end of the third quarter, the Lakers led 89-77, with James adding 7 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist in that quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Lakers extended their lead again, with James continuing to dish out assists as the team maintained control of the game. With 3 minutes and 14 seconds remaining, after achieving a triple-double, James signaled for a timeout and left the game early.
James set several records in this game:
- His total number of steals in the regular season surpassed Scottie Pippen, moving him up to seventh place on the all-time steals list.
- This was James' ninth triple-double of the season, ranking second in the league.
- It was the 121st triple-double of his career, placing him fifth on the all-time triple-double list.
- This was the first triple-double for James after turning 40 years old.
- He extended his record of consecutive games with double-digit scoring to 1,260, continuing to set a new historical record.