LeBron passes 32,000 points but suffers career-worst loss

LeBron James endured the worst defeat of his NBA career on Tuesday night when the Los Angeles Lakers were thumped by 42 points by the Indiana Pacers.

The result was such a foregone conclusion that James sat out the entire fourth quarter in the 136-94 result in Indianapolis.

He had never in his 16-year career experienced worse than a 36-point loss before Tuesday.

James is playing his way back after missing more than a month with a groin injury.

The night was not a complete disaster from a personal standpoint for James, who scored 18 points, becoming the fifth player in NBA history to reach 32,000 points, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.

The four-time NBA most valuable player is in his first season with the Lakers, after his offseason move from Cleveland.

There are 28 games left in the regular season for the Lakers (27-27), and they’re currently 2½ games behind the LA Clippers for the eighth and final playoff spot.

Thunder 132, Magic 122

Paul George scored 39 points, and Russell Westbrook’s triple-double streak continued as host Oklahoma City beat Orlando.

Orlando led by 12 early in the third quarter, but the Thunder outscored the Magic 31-13 over the final nine minutes of the quarter and led 111-97 three minutes into the fourth.

Westbrook finished with 16 points, 15 rebounds and 16 assists, clinching his seventh consecutive triple-double by the end of the third quarter. It’s the third such streak in Westbrook’s career. Only Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan have had at least seven consecutive triple-doubles. Chamberlain holds the NBA record with nine in a row.

Clippers 117, Hornets 115

Tobias Harris scored 34 points and hit a driving 8-footer with 4.3 seconds remaining, and Los Angeles rallied from a 20-point, third-quarter deficit to stun host Charlotte.

Harris drove the lane with the score tied 115-115, and he pulled up and hit the jumper over Kemba Walker. Marvin Williams then missed a potentially winning three-pointer for the Hornets at the buzzer.

Early Wednesday, the Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers agreed to a six-player trade that sends Harris, Boban Marjanovic and Mike Scott to Philadelphia in exchange for Landry Shamet, Wilson Chandler, Mike Muscala and four draft picks.