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LeBron James breaks another Kareem Abdul-Jabbar record in Lakers’ loss to Nuggets

March 6, 2026

DENVER — On a night when LeBron James made more NBA history, the Lakers didn’t match the highs of their 41-year-old star’s record-setting night.

For most of Thursday night, they looked disjointed, never leading, little semblance of the team that had won three straight or the group that gritted out a victory against New Orleans on Tuesday.

If these are the Lakers – who will take a redeye flight back to Los Angeles to complete a back-to-back set against the Indiana Pacers on Friday night – then a March schedule packed with playoff-caliber challenges, could be long and tiresome. The short-handed Denver Nuggets (39-24), playing without injured rotation players Peyton Watson, Aaron Gordon and Cam Johnson, thoroughly handled the Lakers despite second-half surges and Luka Doncic’s 27-point performance to win, 120-113.

The loss snapped the Lakers’ three-game win streak on a night when James passed Lakers icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to set the NBA record for career regular-season field goals.

The Lakers (37-25) had a chance to take a late lead, cutting the Nuggets’ advantage to two points after a Rui Hachimura layup, and to one with 2:05 remaining after Austin Reaves split a pair of free throws. But the Nuggets did what the Lakers couldn’t when it mattered most – they held strong and replenished. Nikola Jokic, who scored 28 points in a triple-double effort (adding 13 assists and 12 rebounds) made a pair of jumpers to push Denver’s lead to five points as Lakers guard Marcus Smart missed two 3-point attempts that would have tied the score in the final 90 seconds.

“It’s very frustrating, it’s very frustrating,” Smart said.

Smart, who nine points in 32 minutes, added later in his press conference: “Probably a month ago, I’d probably say we’d definitely come out of here losing by 30 and not having a chance at the end.”

The Lakers – who are 14-19 against teams that are .500 or better – got close to taking a lead in the third quarter as well, using a 13-4 run to get within 82-78 thanks to 3-pointers from Hachimura and Smart (who shot a combined 7 for 11 from behind the arc as a part of the team’s 42% showing from deep) and a layup from Austin Reaves.

Hachimura (16 points) missed an open layup, in competition with just the rim. James airballed an open 3-point look. The pair of gaffes came during a three-possession stretch in the third quarter as the Nuggets again created separation. It was one of those nights for the Lakers.

Denver scored the first 11 points of the game, forcing Lakers coach JJ Redick to call an early timeout. The Nuggets’ lead reached 13 points in the first quarter – while they shot 50% from the field and 3-point range – behind All-Star guard Jamal Murray. Murray had nine points in the first and Denver built a 33-23 lead.

“Obviously the start was was terrible,” Doncic said. “But after that, you know, we got down double digits multiple times and came back, had a chance to win it. It just didn’t go.”

Despite the Lakers’ early struggles, James reached his milestone late in the first quarter. With 12.3 seconds remaining in the period, James worked on Nuggets forward Zeke Nnaji in the paint. After six dribbles, forcing Nnaji backward into the paint, James turned and made one of his trademark fadeaway jumpers to pass Abdul-Jabbar.

“It’s one of my patented shots,” James said. “It’s something I’ve worked on throughout my career. So, to be able to have that ability to make that shot is pretty cool.”

With his 15,838 field goals, James surpassed a mark that had stood since Abdul-Jabbar’s retirement at the end of the 1988-89 season. More than three years ago, James broke Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA record for career points.

“At the end of the day, just to be able to link my name to being mentioned with some of the greatest to ever play this game has always been humbling and a pretty cool thing,” said James, who suffered a left elbow injury late in the fourth quarter which he called a “super intense” funny bone situation.

“I grew up watching, reading [about], idolizing a lot of the greats and if I ever was able to be part of the NBA, I wanted to put myself in position that I can be named with some of the greats by doing something right. So, it’s pretty cool.”

Deandre Ayton played 4½ minutes in the first quarter (team-low negative-13 in the plus-minus), but exited for Jaxson Hayes immediately after. After Hayes – who scored 19 points on a team-best 8-of-10 shooting in 27 minutes on Thursday – started the second half, and Ayton did not return to the bench, the team announced that Ayton exited with a knee injury and would not return.

“I’m always (ready) – that’s my job,” Hayes said when asked if he’d be ready to start if Ayton has a prolonged absence. “That’s what they pay me to do – is stay ready. Even if I wasn’t in the rotation they pay me to stay ready. That’s all NBA players’ job is just stay ready and get better every day and I’m gonna just do whatever the team needs me to do tomorrow.”

Redick added that he’s “very confident” in Hayes’ ability to start should the Lakers need him to.

Jokic, playing against just one true Lakers center with Maxi Kleber sitting out with back soreness, helped feed Murray for 28 points as well, while guard Julian Strawther recorded 18 points.

Doncic picks up 15th T

Before the Lakers played the Nuggets on Thursday, coach JJ Redick said that Doncic was “trying” to be wary over a looming suspension should the Slovenian star reach 16 technical fouls. He picked up his 14th technical on Tuesday, and with 5:43 to go in the second quarter, Doncic earned his 15th when officials heard him “using profanity directed towards a referee,” according to a pool report conducted by local media after the game.

Doncic said he heard three players “say” the same thing he was told caused official Dedric Taylor to call the technical foul on him on Thursday night, all of which were uncalled, he added.

“That’s my problem, you know, I was trying not to talk at all,” Doncic said. “This is the first thing I said (in the game). No warning or nothing.”

When asked if he’d commit to not committing another technical foul, Doncic said he couldn’t make any promises, but inferred that the goal is to avoid a technical foul for the rest of the season.

“We’ll see,” said Doncic, who has had multiple 15 technical foul seasons. “Can’t predict the future.”

Orange County Register

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LeBron James breaks another Kareem Abdul-Jabbar record in Lakers’ loss to Nuggets

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