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It was a nightmare night for James and the Lakers.
CNN
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NBA superstar LeBron James suffered the worst loss of his storied career on Monday as his Los Angeles Lakers were defeated by the Philadelphia 76ers 138-94 on the road by 44 points.
When the Lakers were defeated by the Indiana Pacers in 2019, James’ largest margin of defeat in a Monday game was 42 points, according to NBA data.
The 76ers were powered by a triple-double from reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid, who posted an impressive 30 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. stat line, shooting rate as high as 60%.
His partner, Tyrese Maxey, who also improved on the court when James Harden was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers earlier this season, also contributed 31 points and eight assists.
The Lakers looked like they had no chance after a fast start and trailed the Sixers all night five minutes into the first quarter, but the game was ultimately capped off by two dominant quarters from Philadelphia. The first quarter set the tone as the 76ers outscored Los Angeles 32-19, but Philadelphia ended the game with a devastating fourth quarter of 40-14 that put an already lopsided game out of reach.
The Lakers’ fourth-quarter woes were compounded by a 76ers lineup without Embiid, who rested the six-time All-Star for the entire final quarter.
Philadelphia has won its last seven games against the Lakers, and Los Angeles suffered its worst loss in the game’s 290-game history.
The victory had an extra layer of meaning for Embiid, who has repeatedly said Lakers icon Kobe Bryant inspired him to play basketball.
“This is my favorite team,” he said after the game. “Every time I play them, you want to win. But no matter what, I do it every night against other teams.”
Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
Embiid throws the ball past Anthony Davis; the Lakers couldn’t contain the MVP on Monday.
Despite the loss, James broke another record in his historic career, becoming the NBA’s all-time leader in regular season and postseason games. Minutes playedsurpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s previous record of 66,300.
However, that didn’t improve the four-time NBA champion’s postgame mood.
“That doesn’t mean anything to me,” “The King” said bluntly.
James, who is entering his 21st season in the NBA and turns 39 next month, finished with 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting, five assists, a steal and a block. He also hit a 3-pointer on the night, one of only seven for the Lakers, while Philadelphia made 22 3-pointers.
“We got killed on the three-point line,” James said. “They made shots. Give them credit.”
Los Angeles is 10-8 on the season and ranks eighth in the competitive Western Conference. They’ll bounce back on Wednesday against the lowly Detroit Pistons, while the 12-5 Sixers travel to the New Orleans Pelicans.