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LeBron James was aware his incredible streak of putting up 10+ points was threatened. At the decisive instant, however, it was not his focus.

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 astounding run of over 1,200 straight NBA regular season outings scoring at least ten concluded this past Thursday, when basketball's greatest scorer finished with eight total points during the Los Angeles Lakers' close victory over the Toronto Raptors. He made the decisive pass, feeding Rui Hachimura to knock down a three-pointer to win the game.

“Zero,” James said when asked on the record concluding. “We won.”

A Team-First Choice Secures the Game

He might have sought to clinch the game – and extended the streak – in the closing seconds, yet he opted to make the extra pass to Rui on the wing. Hachimura made the shot, with LeBron exulted with his hands in the air.

You have to play the game the proper way. You always make the right play,” James noted. “That’s just been how I operate. That is the way I learned to play. That's what I've done throughout my career.”

He is very conscious exactly how many points he's scored at all times,” said the team's head coach JJ Redick. He acted as he has done so many times.”

The Run's Final Moments

He returned to the floor for the final time with just over five minutes left, the win along with the historic run both hanging in the balance. His tally was six points from 3 for 15 from the field at that juncture.

He managed a basket with 1:46 left to level the contest but then missed a 14-footer with one minute to go which could have pushed him into double figures.

He passed up another shot – but could have. Austin Reaves passed him the ball with a few seconds left, however, James decided to dish it off instead.

The spirits of the game, when you play it correctly, they often bless you,” Redick added.

A Look Back at an Unparalleled Record

This incredible run started over eighteen years ago. It was easily the longest such streak the league has ever seen: MJ previously held a streak of 866 consecutive double-digit scoring games, Kareem had 787, and Karl Malone had the fourth-longest run at 575.

LeBron is such a team-oriented player,” noted teammate Jake LaRavia.

He simply plays the sport. The chance was there but because of the player he is and his personality as an individual, he made the unselfish play, found Rui and we won the victory.”

Scoring in double figures was usually an afterthought long before the fourth quarter began. Over the course of the record, he had attained double figures by the beginning of the final quarter on the vast majority of occasions prior to Thursday.

But two of those rare games below ten points after three periods had happened in the last week: He recorded nine points going into the fourth versus the Mavericks on 28 November, followed by six going into the fourth versus the Suns earlier in the week.

He succeeded in keep the streak alive against the Suns. One game later, it finished – and he celebrated all the same.

My focus is to make the correct play. That is instinctive, regardless of outcome,” James affirmed. If you make the unselfish play, the game gods consistently giving back to me.”