LeBron James achieved another milestone in NBA history Tuesday, becoming the first player to surpass the 39,000-point mark as the Los Angeles Lakers dominated the Utah Jazz to advance to the knockout stage of the league's new in-season tournament.
The 38-year-old, requiring just five points to reach this milestone before the game, etched his name into the record books with a three-pointer in the first quarter of the Lakers' 131-99 victory.
James, who surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar last season to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer, acknowledged the crowd as his achievement was announced.
"I haven't really had an opportunity to wrap my head around what it means," James said of his latest scoring milestone. "There have been so many great players in this league since the beginning of time, and so many great scorers. To be able to be the first of anything is always pretty cool. A wild moment, for sure."
James' landmark set the mood for a celebratory occasion at Crypto.com Arena as the Lakers secured a wire-to-wire win, advancing to the quarterfinals of the in-season tournament.
James concluded with 17 points from 6-of-10 shooting, while Anthony Davis led the Lakers' scorers with 26 points, 16 rebounds, and four assists.
In another notable achievement, Kevin Durant climbed to 11th place on the NBA's career scoring list during Phoenix's 120-107 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Durant needed 14 points to surpass Elvin Hayes on the scoring charts and achieved this in a free-scoring first quarter, finishing the game with 31 points and bringing his career tally to 27,331 points.
In other tournament action, the Indiana Pacers defeated the Atlanta Hawks 157-152 in a high-scoring shootout to secure a spot in the knockout stages.
Tyrese Haliburton scored 22 of his 37 points in the third quarter, leading the Pacers to erase a 20-point first-half deficit. Buddy Hield contributed 24 points, including crucial buckets down the stretch, securing the victory for the Pacers.
"It's good to clinch," Haliburton, who also recorded 16 assists, said after the Pacers improved to 3-0 in tournament play and secured a first place in East's Group A. "Buddy won us the game down the stretch; a lot of big buckets."
The quarterfinals are scheduled for Dec. 4-5, with winners advancing to the semifinals on Dec. 7 and a championship match on Dec. 9 in Las Vegas.
In a tightly contested finish in Philadelphia, Darius Garland scored 32 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 122-119 overtime victory against the 76ers. The win kept the Cavs' hopes alive for advancing in the tournament via a wild card berth.
Jarrett Allen contributed 26 points and 13 rebounds, while Max Strus made five three-pointers on the way to 20 points for the Cavs, who played without injured Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert.
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid scored 32 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and Tyrese Maxey added 30 points for Philadelphia, but the 76ers were eliminated from tournament contention.
