A historic night in the NBA saw two of the game’s greatest icons reach staggering new heights on Saturday. While LeBron James officially became the league’s “Iron Man” by playing in his record-breaking 1,612th regular-season game, Kevin Durant climbed into the top five of the all-time scoring list, moving past the legendary Michael Jordan.
According to a report by Sky Sports, both milestones were capped off by heart-pounding finishes that came down to the final buzzer.
LeBron James Tops Most Games Played List
At 41 years old and in his 23rd season, LeBron James took the court for the Los Angeles Lakers in their 105-104 victory over the Orlando Magic, officially passing Robert Parish for the most regular-season games played in NBA history.
James finished the night with 12 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Despite a modest scoring output by his standards, the Lakers extended their winning streak to nine games thanks to a last-second thriller. After a replay review overturned an out-of-bounds call against LeBron with 4.7 seconds left, Marcus Smart found Luke Kennard, who buried a game-winning three-pointer with just 0.6 seconds on the clock.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick marveled at LeBron’s endurance after the game, as per Sky Sports:
“He’s had an awesome season. He’s had an awesome career… There’s just a deep-seated love for the game of basketball. To do it as long as he has, you not only need to have the love, but you need the love for the commitment to prepare your body and prepare your mind.”
While LeBron made history, teammate Luka Doncic led the scoring with 33 points. However, Doncic was assessed his 16th technical foul of the season following an exchange with Orlando’s Goga Bitadze. Unless rescinded by the league, Doncic faces an automatic one-game suspension for the Lakers’ next outing against Detroit.
Kevin Durant Passes MJ for 5th All-Time
In Houston, the Rockets secured a wild 123-122 win over the Miami Heat, but the headline belonged to Kevin Durant. With a signature jump shot in the fourth quarter, Durant surpassed Michael Jordan to take over 5th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
Durant now sits at 32,294 career points, eclipsing Jordan’s 32,292. Much like the Lakers game, this one ended in chaos. After Durant missed a potential game-winner, Amen Thompson soared for a tip-in at the buzzer to seal the victory for Houston. Durant now trails only Kobe Bryant (4th), Karl Malone (3rd), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (2nd), and LeBron James (1st) on the elite scoring ladder.
