LeBron James Dominates in Los Angeles Lakers Win Over Portland Trail Blazers

LeBron James continued his march toward immortality in Sunday night's 121-112 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. The 18-time All Star scored an impressive 37 points, bringing him within 223 of fellow Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time league record of 38387.

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— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 23, 2023

James hit 14 of his 24 field goal attempts while also logging 11 rebounds and four assists. It was his 20th 30+ point game of the season, which lifted his season averages to a staggering 29.8 points per game, 8.5 rebounds per game, and 6.9 assists per game. At 38 years old, James has played 37 of a possible 47 games this season. At his current pace, he should pass Abdul-Jabbar's record in a matter of weeks.

Despite James' continued excellence, the Lakers find themselves in the midst of a troubling season. At 22-25, they sit 12th in the Western Conference and are at risk of missing the playoffs for a second straight season. For all his sustained greatness, James has been hampered by the Lakers' ineptitude over the last portion of his career. Excluding the unique and truncated 2019-20 pandemic season, the Lakers have failed to win a playoff series since James joined the team in 2018.

The Lakers will host the Los Angeles Clippers Tuesday night.