On March 19, the Los Angeles Lakers played the Toronto Raptors on the road. In the showdown in the past few days, the Lakers were not opponents, and they had suffered three consecutive defeats before this game. The game was played very intensely and the two teams played a draw in regular time into extra time. In the end, the Lakers defeated the Toronto Raptors 128-123, pulling back a city and ending the team's losing streak.
Throughout the game, James played 44 minutes and 41 seconds, shooting 15-of-26, 2-of-7 from three-point range, and cut down a full statistic of 36 points, 9 boards and 7 assists. After scoring 36 points, James' total regular season score has reached 36,909 points, just 19 points away from Carl Malone, who ranks second on the scoring list. James can average 29.5 points per game this season, and if there are no surprises, James will officially surpass Malone in the next game.
However, the US media suggested that James take a break in the next game. The reason is also very simple, because the Los Angeles Lakers will play against the Cleveland Cavaliers on the 22nd. Lakers reporter Michael Corvo wrote on his social media: "LeBron is now 19 points away from Karl Malone, who is second in the all-time scoring list. After 45 minutes of playing tonight, we would definitely envision him taking a turn to take tomorrow's Lakers game against the Wizards before overtaking the Postman in Cleveland. Who would have thought of this scene in advance? "As long as James rests in tomorrow's game against the Wizards, he can go back to his hometown and finish at home in his hometown.
Cleveland has always been James' second home, and to be back in Cleveland to complete this great milestone, I believe James should be very happy. Cavaliers fans will be willing to witness James surpass Malone at home. In addition, James' playing time in the last three games has been very high, and the next game against the Wizards is back-to-back, and it is indeed time for James to take a break, after all, James is 37 years old, and it is easy to get injured due to fatigue if he does not pay attention to protection. In addition, the Lakers are currently far behind the eighth-ranked Clippers, and there is almost no possibility of entering the playoffs, and the outcome of this game will not have much impact on the team. I just don't know what James himself thinks, as long as he wants to take a break, I believe that the Lakers management and coaching staff will also support his choice.