Watch: LeBron James misses clutch game-tying free throws as his poor record from the line continues in loss vs Golden State Warriors
LeBron James and the LA Lakers recorded their seventh loss in nine games against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. It was a close encounter as James drew a 3-point foul call with 2.6 seconds left on the game clock. The Lakers would have tied the contest had James converted those attempts, but that wasn't the case.
The 37-year-old missed the first attempt and converted the second. With just two seconds left, LeBron James missed the last attempt. They managed to gain possession but couldn't convert it, eventually losing the match 115-117. Here's a clip of James' last three free-throw attempts to end the game (via Mark Haynes):
Warriors win 117-115. https://t.co/gNJ0QuDvow
LeBron James is widely regarded as one of the greatest players to ever play in the NBA. His all-around ability has been a hallmark of his 19-year career thus far, but his poor record from the free-throw line remains his biggest weakness. The four-time MVP has never shot over 80% from the field in his career.
James' career-high shooting percentage from the foul line is 78% when he was with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2008-09 season. He has been shooting 75% from the charity stripe this year on a career-low 5.6 attempts per match.
LeBron James passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the all-time leading scorer in regular-season and playoffs combined.
LeBron James couldn't close the game for the LA Lakers against the Golden State Warriors but still went home with another great record to his name. The four-time NBA champion went past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become NBA's all-time leading scorer in regular-season and playoffs history. It came following his 26-point, 15-rebound effort against the Warriors on Saturday.
The record-setting shot came during the 3rd quarter of the game when James converted a 3-point field goal.
LeBron James has now scored more points than any other player in league history between the regular season and playoffs combined. The record-setting bucket: https://t.co/o43WjumoPP
James now has 44,157 points to his name in the regular-season and playoffs combined, eight more than former LA Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
James would've hoped to bag a win for his side on such a historic night for him, though. The Lakers are now 26-31 for the season, the farthest they have been from the .500 mark. They face an uphill task ahead if they aim to qualify as the sixth seed in the NBA playoffs and avoid falling into the play-in tournament.
The loss against the Dubs wasn't as disappointing, though, as they are one of the most dominant teams in the NBA this year. There were plenty of takeaways for Frank Vogel's side and they will want to build on the positive going forward.