Overview
- James finished with a season-high 29 points on 12-of-17 shooting, punctuating a personal 10-point fourth-quarter run—long two, three, go-ahead three with 1:12 left, and a 20-foot fadeaway—before a final steal to close it out.
- The NBA confirmed he passed Robert Parish for second on the all-time regular-season wins list and now trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,074).
- Luka Dončić returned from Slovenia after the birth of his daughter and posted a 31-point, 15-rebound, 11-assist triple-double.
- The performance came days after his 1,297-game double-digit scoring streak ended and as he continues to manage sciatica and left-foot joint arthritis following a delayed season debut.
- Postgame remarks about the irreplaceable thrill of playing in arenas were widely interpreted as fueling fresh questions about his retirement timeline.