LeBron James Extends NBA Career Field Goals Record With Lakers Loss To Nuggets

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LeBron James reached another NBA record while the Los Angeles Lakers slipped to a 120-113 defeat against the Denver Nuggets, as the 22-time All-Star became the league’s all-time leader in career field goals made, further extending a statistical legacy that already covers scoring, minutes and longevity across a 23-year career.

The record shot arrived with 12 seconds left in the first quarter, when James hit a turnaround 12-foot jumper for his 15,838th career field goal, moving past Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most in NBA history, before James closed the night with 16 points, eight assists and three steals.

James already overtook Abdul-Jabbar as the league’s career scoring leader in February 2023, and has also moved ahead of the former Lakers centre for total minutes played and field goals attempted, while James’ 23 seasons in the NBA stand alone as the longest career in league history, underlining sustained durability at the highest level.

The new field-goal NBA record briefly looked in doubt late on when James fell hard on a layup during the fourth quarter and went to the bench, yet James soon returned and finished an efficient 7-of-11 from the field in the loss as the Lakers absorbed a setback against a direct Western Conference rival.

Luka Dončić led Los Angeles with 27 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and four steals, but the Lakers, now 37-25, saw a three-game winning streak end and slipped 1 1/2 games behind the fifth-place Nuggets, who improved to 39-24 in an increasingly tight Western Conference playoff picture.

Denver leaned on All-Star pair Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, who each scored 28 points, while Jokic added 13 assists and 12 rebounds for his NBA-best 23rd triple-double of the season, although Jokic also matched a personal season high with nine turnovers in a sometimes loose offensive display.

The Nuggets continued to manage without Aaron Gordon, missing a 17th straight game due to a hamstring injury suffered on January 23, yet Denver officials expect Gordon to return against the New York Knicks on Friday, with team results strongly split depending on availability, as shown by their contrasting records this season.

NBA record night alongside Wembanyama’s effort against Pistons

Elsewhere, Victor Wembanyama powered the San Antonio Spurs to a 121-106 home win over the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons, posting 38 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks as the Spurs extended an impressive run of form and raised talk of a potential NBA Finals preview between the two young contenders.

Wembanyama rediscovered outside rhythm by hitting four of 10 three-point attempts, after going three of 18 from long range across the previous four games, and the crowd rose during the second quarter when Wembanyama delivered back-to-back dunks on consecutive possessions, including a three-point play created by Wembanyama tipping in his own miss.

De'Aaron Fox provided 29 points while Stephon Castle contributed 11 points and 12 assists as San Antonio moved to 45-17, winning for the 13th time in 14 outings and closing to within three games of the Oklahoma City Thunder for first place in the West, with the surge including a 114-103 road win over Detroit on February 23.

Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 26 points and eight assists and Isaiah Stewart added 18 points, but Detroit, now 45-16, dropped a second straight game after previously losing only two of 13, while Ausar Thompson suffered a right ankle sprain in the opening minutes and did not reappear, deepening concerns around recent form.

NBA record backdrop to Warriors-Rockets overtime battle

In Houston, Brandon Podziemski delivered in overtime as the Golden State Warriors edged the Rockets 115-113, with Podziemski scoring seven of a team-high 26 points during the extra period, including a key three-pointer with 2:32 remaining that put Golden State ahead for good on a night with major standings implications.

The Warriors, now 32-30, secured just a third win in eight games but widened the gap over the ninth-place Los Angeles Clippers to 1 1/2 games, while the Rockets, sitting fourth in the West at 38-23, missed a late opportunity to extend the contest when Kevin Durant went to the line in overtime.

Durant was fouled on a three-point attempt with 30 seconds left, made the first two free throws and missed the third as Houston failed to draw level, with Durant finishing on 23 points, while Reed Sheppard scored 30 points from the bench, and Alperen Sengun contributed 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

Sengun produced seven points during a frantic 1:14 in the final stages of regulation, highlighted by two close-range hook shots, yet Golden State still prevailed thanks to 23 points from De'Anthony Melton and a strong showing from 19-year veteran Al Horford, who recorded 17 points, six rebounds and five assists in one of Horford’s best scoring nights this season.

The evening across the NBA featured James’ new field-goal mark, Jokic’s latest triple-double, Wembanyama’s dominance against the conference leaders and Podziemski’s overtime composure, with each performance shaping playoff races and underlining how individual milestones and emerging stars are influencing the balance of power in both conferences.