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LeBron James was aware his monumental run of scoring in double figures was at risk. At the decisive instant, however, it didn't concern him.

The smart move meant distributing the basketball – which is exactly what he did. With that selfless act, the legendary streak came to an end.

James's staggering run of over 1,200 straight regular-season games with 10+ points ended during a recent game, as the league's career points king finished with eight points in the Lakers' 123-120 win against the Toronto Raptors. He made the clutch helper, setting up Rui Hachimura to knock down a three-point shot to win the game.

“None,” James stated when asked on the record concluding. “We won.”

A Selfless Decision Delivers Victory

He might have tried to secure the contest – and preserved his record – with the last shot, yet he opted to make the extra pass to his teammate on the wing. Hachimura sank it, prompting James raised his arms with his hands in the air.

You have to play the game correctly. Make the right play,” James remarked. That is my M.O.. That is the way I learned to play. I’ve done that for two decades.”

James is fully cognizant of how many points he has at all times,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick. “He did it just as he has so many times.”

The Run's End Game

LeBron checked back into the contest for the final time with just over five minutes left, the outcome along with the historic run both hanging in the balance. He had only six points on 3 for 15 from the field by that point.

He got a bucket with 1:46 left to level the contest then missed a 14-footer with 1:01 left that might have taken him into double figures.

He didn’t take another shot – but could have. Austin Reaves gave James the ball in the waning seconds, however, James chose to make the pass instead of shooting.

The spirits of the game, if you do it the proper way, they often repay you,” the coach concluded.

The History of a Monumental Run

James's streak started on Jan. 6, 2007. It was easily the greatest such streak in NBA history: MJ previously held a streak of 866 consecutive games with 10+ points, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recorded 787 such games, and Karl Malone was fourth on the list at 575.

LeBron is such a team-oriented player,” said Lakers center a fellow Laker.

“He’s just playing the sport. He could have shot but because of who he is on the court and his character off the court, he chose the team play, dished to Hachimura and we won the game.”

Getting to ten points was usually a formality long before the start of fourth quarters. Throughout his run, he had reached the 10-point mark by the start of the fourth over twelve hundred times before this game.

But two such single-digit games after three periods took place recently: He had nine going into the fourth versus the Mavericks last week, followed by six going into the fourth versus the Suns on Monday night.

He succeeded in extend the streak in the Phoenix game. One game later, it concluded – and he celebrated regardless.

My focus is to make the right play. That comes naturally, regardless of outcome,” James declared. When you make the smart play, the basketball gods are always giving back to me.”