NBA roundup: LeBron reaches milestone in Lakers win, Jokić seals it at the death for Denver
Los Angeles, California - LeBron James became the second player to 38,000 career NBA points before Russell Westbrook's failed final play as the Los Angeles Lakers lost 113-112 to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.
With the Sixers leading by one point, Westbrook rebounded after Joel Embiid missed a two-point shot with 16 seconds remaining, opting to advance the ball, rather than take a timeout, before failing to get a clean shot or pass away as the clock expired under defense from Embiid and Georges Niang.
The finish took some gloss off James' significant achievement, reaching the 38,000 career points mark in the first quarter, before finishing the game with 35 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds.
Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 38,387 points stands above LeBron now, and he's expected to surpass that historic total next month.
The game was tight throughout, as Embiid top-scored for the Sixers with 35 points on 12-of-21 shooting from the field, including two three-pointers. Embiid also had 11 rebounds and four assists. James Harden contributed 24 points, seven rebounds, and 13 assists.
Westbrook played 34 minutes off the bench with 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists, but also four turnovers. That marked Westbrook's 198th career triple-double.
Around the league: Jokić clinches late Denver win, Lillard leads Blazers past Mavs
Back-to-back NBA MVP Nikola Jokić landed a step-back three-pointer with 1.2 seconds left to secure the Denver Nuggets a 119-116 victory over the Orlando Magic.
Jokic finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 assists for his 12th triple-double of the season, with the Nuggets clinching their 13th straight home win to remain top of the Western Conference.
Aaron Gordon added 25 points with eight rebounds and five assists, while Jamal Murray delivered 18 points with three three-pointers and seven assists.
Damian Lillard backed up with 40 points for the Portland Trail Blazers to complete a two-game back-to-back sweep of the Dallas Mavericks, 140-123.
Lillard shot 10-of-17 from the field and four-of-nine from three-point range with six assists for the Blazers, who had lost five in a row prior to the two games against Dallas.
The Mavs rested Luka Dončić after his season-low 15 points in Saturday's game, having starred in Thursday's double overtime win over the Lakers.
Cover photo: Collage: USA TODAY Sports