The Lakers beat the Cavaliers 131-120 on the road today, with James playing 41 minutes and 17-of-29 shooting for 38 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists.
James not only cut 35+ today, but also got a triple-double. It is worth mentioning that James has achieved 17 wins and 1 loss against the Cavaliers in his career, which is the highest winning rate (94.4%) in his career against 30 teams in the league; James can average 29.6 points per game against the Cavaliers in his career, which is also the highest personal scoring average against 30 teams in the league in his career.
In the last three games, James has scored more than 35 points, 36 against the Raptors, 38 against the Wizards and 38 against the Cavaliers. This became the first Lakers player to score at least 35 points in three consecutive games since Kobe Bryant in January 2012. He is also the first player since O'Neal in March 2000 to score 35 points in three consecutive games with at least 55 percent shooting.
After cutting 35+ in three consecutive games, James not only surpassed Malone in career totals and rose to second in history, but also reached 36,985 career points, just 15 points away from the career 37,000 mark. That means James is expected to reach that milestone in the next game, becoming the second Mr. 37,000 points in history, while the Lakers' next game will be at home to the 76ers on March 24.
In addition, after cutting 35+ in three consecutive games, James has also averaged 30 points per game this season, temporarily rising to the first place in the league. Before James, the oldest players who averaged 30+ per game were Jordan and Curry, both of whom averaged 30 points per game at the age of 33, while James is already 37 this season.
If James can become the leading scorer this season, he will surpass Jordan (35 years old) to become the oldest leading scorer in history. Even if he can't be the top scorer, James will set a record, because no player has ever been able to play such a high average of points per game at the age of 37.