LeBron achieves historic 50,000th point as Lakers clip Pelicans for 7th straight win

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James finished with 34 points and became the first player to score 50,000 combined points in the regular season and playoffs, and the Los Angeles Lakers extended their longest winning streak in four years to seven games with a 136-115 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, March 4.

Luka Doncic had 30 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds for the Lakers, who have won 17 of 20 to move into second place in the Western Conference at 39-21. Jaxson Hayes had a season-high 19 points and 10 rebounds as Los Angeles won its second straight without injured starters Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura.

Zion Williamson scored 37 points for the 14th-place Pelicans, who went 2-2 on an encouraging road trip. Trey Murphy III added 19 points.

James surpassed his latest milestone with a 3-pointer early in the first quarter. Lakers fans gave a standing ovation moments later to James, who acknowledged it with a wave of his hand.

Bronny James played the final 4:01, scoring two points in his first NBA action since Feb. 12.

Williamson was outstanding, going 17 of 23 from the floor and adding six assists. New Orleans will feel good about its offensive performance against the NBA’s top defensive team in recent weeks.

Almost everything is working. They’re 11-2 since acquiring Doncic and 7-2 with the Slovenian superstar in uniform. Four supporting players scored at least eight points in the absences of Hachimura and Reaves.

Meanwhile in New York, Stephen Curry had 28 points and nine assists while running his personal record to 12-1 at Madison Square Garden, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Knicks, 114-102, on Tuesday night, March 4.

Jimmy Butler and Brandin Podziemski added 19 points apiece for the Warriors, who improved to 3-1 on their five-game trip. It feels like home for them on the Knicks’ floor, where they have won 12 of the last 14 times.

Draymond Green finished with eight points, nine rebounds and eight assists on his 35th birthday.

OG Anunoby scored 29 points and Jalen Brunson had 25 for the Knicks, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. They played without All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns, who was out for personal reasons. Coach Tom Thibodeau said before the game he didn’t know if Towns would be with the team when it left for a five-game trip that starts Thursday against the Lakers.

Playing for the second straight night after winning in Charlotte on Monday, Curry didn’t seem bothered by the right ankle soreness he experienced in that game and played 33 minutes.

Without the ability to get inside offense from Towns, the Knicks couldn’t overcome their 8-for-33 shooting (24%) from 3-point range. Mitchell Robinson started at center in just his third game this season after returning from ankle surgery but played only 15 minutes while working his way back.

In Chicago, Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points, Jarrett Allen added 25 points and 17 rebounds, and the NBA-best Cleveland Cavaliers won their 11th straight game, 139-117, over the Bulls.

Darius Garland added 19 points on 7-of-22 shooting for the Cavs, who rested forward Evan Mobley and fell behind by 15 points in the first half but still found a way to extend their third double-digit winning streak of the season. Cleveland began the season 15-0 and had a 12-game run in December and January.

Coby White led the Bulls with 25 points. Talen Horton-Tucker scored a season-high 22 and Zach Collins had 20.

Cleveland closed within 58-57 at halftime and the game was close throughout the third quarter. It was 107-all midway through the fourth when the Cavs began a decisive 14-0 run. Allen scored six points during the burst, and Garland’s 3-pointer made it 121-107 with 4:54 left.

In Orlando, Ja’Kobe Walter swished a contested 3-pointer with 0.5 seconds remaining and the Toronto Raptors edged the Magic, 114-113, after blowing a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter.

Paolo Banchero rallied the Magic, scoring 22 of his 41 points in the final period on 8-for-8 shooting. He made two free throws with 5 seconds left to give Orlando a 113-111 lead.

Banchero, who finished with eight rebounds, eight assists and four steals, also scored 41 in a loss to Golden State last Thursday.

In San Antonio, Devin Vassell had a career-high 37 points along with 10 rebounds, and the Spurs rolled to a 127-113 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

Brooklyn (21-40) lost its fifth straight, dropping 2 1/2 games out of 10th place in the Eastern Conference.

Cam Thomas had 24 points to lead the Nets, and Cameron Johnson added 17.