On Thursday night, the Lakers were on the road vs. the Raptors. Toronto was 15-7 heading into the matchup, third in the Eastern Conference. Los Angeles had a 15-5 record after a loss to the Suns.
Against the Raptors, the Lakers were without Luka Doncic. He missed the game due to personal reasons. Austin Reaves exploded for 44 points to lead Los Angeles. However, the largest storyline on Thursday was LeBron James. Despite his 10+ points per game streak ending, he set up Rui Hachiura for a game-winning three. NBA TV analyst and former coach David Fizdale praised LeBron for unselfishly finding Rui Hachimura.
LeBron James made the correct pass to end the game, and it resulted in a win
“On time. On target. In the shooting pocket. He is the best to ever do that.” 🎯
David Fizdale breaks down LeBron James’ picture perfect pass to the corner setting up Rui Hachimura for the @TISSOT Buzzer-Beater! pic.twitter.com/TrgFXCJBPp
— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 5, 2025
As of late, LeBron James has struggled with his offensive efficiency. Against the Suns on Monday, James had a close call. He finished the game with 10 points. He continued his streak of recording at least 10 points in 1,297 games. However, James found himself under 10 points late in Thursday’s game vs. the Raptors. It was a tightly-contested game in the fourth quarter. The score was tied 120-120.
Austin Reaves had already torched Toronto for 44 points. When Los Angeles needed a bucket late in the game, the Raptors threw a double team at Reaves. He delivered a bounce pass to LeBron James, who quickly surveyed the floor. James fired a pass to Rui Hachimura in the left corner. Hachimura nailed the shot and gave Los Angeles a 123-120 win. It was a true buzzer-beater for the Lakers.
LeBron James makes the extra pass to Rui Hachimura, who hits the game-winner to beat the Raptors. If you’re going to snap a 1,297 game streak with at least 10 points, that’s how you do it. Rui told @MikeTrudell afterwards that LeBron told him to expect the extra pass. pic.twitter.com/2yN9GqpbtG
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) December 5, 2025
NBA TV’s David Fizdale had nothing but praise for LeBron James after the win on Thursday night. Fizdale is a former assistant and head coach in the NBA. Additionally, he was with LeBron in Miami and Los Angeles. David Fizdale said that fans have become so used to seeing James make the right pass. They take it for granted.
David Fizdale said LeBron James’ pass to Rui Hachimura was “On time. On target. In the shooting pocket.” James delivered the perfect pass to Rui Hachimura. Something Fizdale says James has done countless times over his career. The 40-year-old finished the game with 11 assists on Thursday. None bigger than the game-winning pass to Rui Hachimura. While James’ scoring is down in 2025-26, his basketball IQ is as high as it’s ever been.
