LeBron James entered the fourth quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers road game against the Indiana Pacers without a made field goal. It was the first time in his career that he had played the first three quarters of a game and failed to score, risking a make-less game for the first time since December 29, 2004, due to injury.

Forty-nine seconds into the final frame, James ensured that would not happen with a layup and continued to dominate in a memorable fourth quarter.

Just before the final buzzer, James tipped in a missed shot from Luka Doncic to secure a dramatic and needed 120-119 victory, breaking the Lakers’ three-game losing streak!

“Certainly there was a level of frustration from starting 0 of 6 or whatever it was,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “But never have I questioned that guy’s commitment to winning.”

After a key defensive stop with the Pacers leading 119-118 with 10 seconds left, the Lakers rushed up the court without calling a timeout. James initially had possession but spotted a double team coming and passed to Doncic, who drove for a good look but missed. Fortunately, James managed to tip it back in just before the end.

James finished with 13 points, alongside 13 rebounds and seven assists despite a poor shooting night of 4 for 12, hitting 4 of 6 in the crucial fourth quarter to ensure the Lakers did not squander a 17-point lead. This victory moves the Lakers back into playoff contention as they now sit fourth in the Western Conference with a record of 44-28, trailing the second-place Houston Rockets.

“To be honest, I don’t know how it felt because I was trying to look at the jumbotron to see if I got it off,” James commented afterward.

After the game, he now holds a streak of 1,283 consecutive games scoring double figures, surpassing Michael Jordan by 417 games.

“MJ is one of the most ruthless competitors there is,” James noted during his interview with Pat McAfee. “Until I’m done, he won’t want to talk to me.”