LeBron James has formally hit the house stretch of his pursuit of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s document for essentially the most factors in NBA historical past. As of Tuesday’s thrilling extra time victory at Madison Square Garden, James is now solely 89 factors away from making historical past. On his present common of 30.2 factors per sport, he would break the document on Feb. 7 in opposition to the Thunder.
Of course, we all know that averages generally is a bit deceptive. There are a number of components to contemplate right here. Does James care if he breaks the document on the street, or would he desire to do it at residence? Does the opponent matter? And what about his personal teammates?
Anthony Davis is again within the lineup now. Rui Hachimura wants photographs after his acquisition through commerce as properly. So perhaps James will get scorching for just a few extra video games. Maybe he is chilly. So as a substitute of counting on a mean, let’s take a game-by-game strategy to foretell what number of factors he’ll rating in opposition to every opponent to interrupt Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time document.
Thursday, Feb. 2 @ Pacers: 25 factors
The Pacers held James to simply 22 factors of their first assembly this season, however the better concern right here, even when it makes a win extra seemingly, is that the absence of Tyrese Haliburton creates circumstances for a blowout. The Lakers aren’t going to push James into further minutes if this sport is not shut. So on the fourth night time of a prolonged street journey, James will put up numbers, however he is not going to go loopy. — Projected factors away from document postgame: 64
Saturday, Feb. 4 @ Pelicans: 24 factors
When a wholesome Anthony Davis performs in opposition to the Pelicans, he tends to dominate. He scored 87 factors mixed in two conferences in opposition to his outdated group in 2020. The bother is, both the schedule or accidents have weakened him for many of his subsequent matchups. Now that Davis seems to be comparatively wholesome, he is most likely going to do the lion’s share of the scoring for the Lakers on this one. While James is presently on tempo to interrupt the document on this sport, if he sits out the Nets matchup as we predict and tallies the earlier numbers, he can be inside hanging distance on any night time he steps on the ground following the five-game street journey. — Projected factors away from document postgame: 40
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Tuesday, Feb. 7 vs. Thunder: 26 factors
This is roughly once we ought to count on the gravity of the document to hit him and for him to begin urgent a bit. Remember, Stephen Curry was taking up 14 3-pointers per sport within the seven video games main as much as his 3-point record-breaker final season, and he was hitting them at solely a 34.7 p.c clip. So count on a high-volume, low-efficiency sport out of James on this one, particularly since he’ll be spending it within the “Dorture Chamber.” Few defenders are higher at forcing huge wings into taking pictures jumpers than Luguentz Dort, so it will seemingly be a comparatively quiet James sport, however he’ll simply be just a few buckets away by this level. — Projected factors away from document postgame: 14
Thursday, Feb. 9 vs. Bucks: 34 factors
If you are a conspiracy theorist, here is one thing to be aware of: The Feb. 7 sport between the Lakers and Thunder shouldn’t be slated for nationwide tv. The late window sport for TNT is the Timberwolves in opposition to the Nuggets. But this sport? It can be nationally televised because the second half of TNT’s back-to-back. Do with that info what you’ll. Regardless, the tempo takes us to Milwaukee, a group James has tended to succeed in opposition to. It’s a house sport for the Lakers, permitting the group loads of room to honor him. It comes in opposition to a worthy opponent, and there’ll absolutely be postgame quotes about how Giannis Antetokounmpo — his opposing All-Star Game captain — is perhaps subsequent. It’s just too straightforward a scene to set. Expect this sport to be the record-breaker, and, phrase to the clever: If LeBron is as near the document at tipoff as we predict he’s going to be, this is not the night time to reach fashionably late.
After practically 39 years, the NBA has a brand new all-time scoring king, and his title is LeBron James.
