LeBron James is set to make more history on Saturday when the Los Angeles Lakers host the defending champion Denver Nuggets in a Western Conference finals rematch. James, already the NBA's all-time leading scorer, is just nine points away from becoming the first player to reach 40,000 career points.
James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the scoring record last season and is now 1,604 points ahead of the legendary big man. As James continues to excel in his 21st season, his lead at the top is only getting bigger. In fact, as he approaches 40,000 points, no other active player even has 30,000. The closest active player to James is Kevin Durant at 28,342 points.
Here's how to watch James make history:
Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Lakers
- When: Saturday, March 2 | 8:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Crypto.com Arena -- Los Angeles, California
- TV: ABC | Live stream: fuboTV
- Odds: Nuggets (-1.5) +105 | Moneyline -110
With James leading the way, the Lakers have surged back into the playoff picture in the Western Conference. They enter Saturday's showdown on a mini two-game winning streak and have won nine of their past 12 games on either side of the All-Star break.
James' effort in their 21-point comeback to stun the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday was yet another reminder that even at 39 years old, he remains one of the best players around. He finished with 34 points, six rebounds, and eight assists. James even outscored the Clippers by himself in the fourth quarter (19-16).
Thanks to this recent hot streak, the Lakers are now 33-28 and all alone in ninth place in the West. They have a 5.5-game advantage on the 11th place Utah Jazz, and instead of looking over their shoulder can set their sights on the teams ahead of them. All of a sudden, they are just 2.5 games back of the New Orleans Pelicans for sixth place and the final automatic playoff spot. They still have plenty of work to do to chase down Zion Williamson and Co., but the fact that it's even a possibility is a sign of how far the Lakers have come in the last month.
