NBA superstar LeBron James endured a career-low defeat on Monday as the Philadelphia 76ers dominated his Los Angeles Lakers by 44 points on the road, sealing a 138-94 victory.
The loss surpassed James’ previous record of a 42-point defeat against the Indiana Pacers in 2019.
The Philadelphia 76ers, driven by a triple-double performance from NBA MVP Joel Embiid, secured a decisive win with Embiid contributing 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.
Tyrese Maxey, stepping up since the trade of James Harden, added 31 points and eight assists.
The Lakers struggled from the start, trailing the 76ers throughout the game, with an especially devastating fourth quarter ending 40-14 in favor of Philadelphia.
Notably, the Sixers achieved this without Embiid, who rested the entire final period.
Embiid, inspired by Lakers icon Kobe Bryant, expressed the significance of defeating his favorite team.
Despite the loss, LeBron James set a new NBA record for the all-time leader in regular season and playoff minutes played, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s previous record.
James, however, downplayed the achievement, emphasizing the team’s struggle, particularly on the three-point line where the Lakers fell short compared to Philadelphia’s 22 triples.
The Lakers, currently 10-8 in the season and eighth in the competitive Western Conference, aim to recover against the Detroit Pistons.
Meanwhile, the 76ers, with a 12-5 record, will face the New Orleans Pelicans.
