LeBron James inches closer to NBA history as Lakers beat Rockets

The Los Angeles Lakers recorded a 140-132 victory against the Houston Rockets in an NBA fixture played in the early hours on Tuesday, January 17, 2023.

The Lakers came faced off against the Rockets on a three-game losing streak and on the second night of a back-to-back.

Led by star forward LeBron James, the Lakers produced a dominant performance against their Western Conference rivals to celebrate Martin Luther King day.

James featured for 36 minutes and recorded a season-high 48 points inspiring the Lakers on several occasions after every run by the Rockets.

He also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out nine assists as he missed out on a triple-double.

The four-time regular season Most Valuable Player award winner made 16 of the 26 shots he took which includes five of 10 from three-point range and 11 of 12 from the free throw line.

It was the 20 victory for the Lakers this season as they stay 13 in the Western Conference and are outside the playoffs and play-in spots.

James is on his way to beating the all-time NBA scoring recording held by Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

He recorded his 38,000th point a day before in the loss at home against the Philadelphia 76ers.

James now has 38,072 points and is just 315 points behind Abdul-Jabbar's 38,387 scoring record.

The Lakers have played 44 games this season and still have 38 to go as James is expected to break the record in the coming weeks.

James returns to action for the Lakers when they take on the Sacramento Kings in their next league game scheduled for Thursday, January 19, 2023.