NBA star LeBron James breaks the 40,000 points barrier

LeBron James became the first NBA player to break the 40,000 points barrier in the regular season. The Brooklyn Nets team with national team captain Dennis Schröder can still hope for the playoffs.

The Lakers lost 114:124 to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday evening (March 2, 2024 local time), but the focus was again on LeBron James, who became the first player in NBA history to reach the 40,000 point mark.

The 39-year-old scored the ninth point needed to accomplish the feat in the second quarter of the game against the Nuggets. During the ensuing timeout, James received a standing ovation and was shown a video of highlights from his career.

Congratulations from the basketball world to LeBron

There were many congratulations from the basketball world: “Congratulations to LeBron James“Lakers legend Magic Johnson, who was in the room, wrote to X.”I'm happy to be there, it's an incredible achievement“.

“No one has ever done that before, and the fact that I'm in this position at this point in my career is pretty amazingJames said before the game when the record was set.Is this one of the best things I've done in my career so far? no. Does it mean anything to me? Yes, of course.”

Just last year, James, a four-time NBA champion, replaced former all-time leading scorer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at the top of the standings for points scored during the regular season. Abdul-Jabbar topped the all-time scoring list for 34 years.

The Lakers are still fighting to make the playoffs

With 26 points, James was also his team's top scorer in his “highlight” game. But at the same time, this highlighted the Lakers' big problem, as they generally did not have enough to face the champions from Denver. Anthony Davis (17 points) dunk in the second half. In addition to leader Nikola Jokic (35 points), Michael Porter Jr. (25) and Jamal Murray (24) took charge of Denver.

The Lakers are 10th in the West, just in the play-in tournament spots, which still offer a chance to make the playoffs. The difference between him and the Utah Jazz is still six wins after the Jazz suffered a defeat against Miami.

Next win for Schroder and the Nets

The Brooklyn Nets team with national team captain Dennis Schröder achieved their second consecutive victory over the Atlanta Hawks, and thus can continue to hope for the playoffs. After 124:97 on Friday, the team around world champion Dennis Schröder beat the Hawks after 24 hours on Saturday in their own hall.

As a starter, Schroder contributed 14 points and 8 assists in 34 minutes of playing time to reach 114:102. Mikal Bridges was the host team's best player with 38 points.

With 24 victories and 36 defeats, the Nets raised their tally to two victories behind the Hawks, who occupy eleventh place in the Eastern Conference and still have a chance to qualify for the playoff tournament.

Clippers and Mavericks lose to 76ers

Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks, along with German professional basketball player Maxi Kleber, continue to search for consistency. Despite the good comeback, the Texans lost 116:120 to the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Playoffs and have lost four of their last five games. Before that, Dallas achieved a series of seven consecutive victories. The Mavs were once again led by Slovenian star Luka Doncic, who achieved a triple-double with 38 points, 11 rebounds and ten assists. However, it wasn't enough, even without the 76ers' MVP Joel Embiid, who has been out for weeks with a knee injury. Clipper contributed two points and five rebounds in 25 minutes of playing time.

Dallas desperately needs every win in the race for the playoffs in the tight Western Conference. The Mavericks currently sit in eighth place after winning by 34:27, so Clipper and company will have to make a play-in tournament. The Phoenix Suns (35:25) are in sixth place, enough for direct playoff participation, within reach.