For the first time this season, James had a triple-double with 28 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.
38-year-old James, who rested an injured foot on Monday, has accumulated 38,299 points in his 20 years in the league.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar amassed 38,387.
James is getting more and more questions about the record that is only a couple of games away.
- I have not reached this stage of my career by thinking about records or how many points I have scraped together.
I'm just trying to play the right way, go in with the right attitude every game to be a triple threat to score, get rebounds and assists and get the pieces in the right place," James told the AP.
February 9 - the date that James can make history
James was important as the Lakers pulled away at the end to win 129-123 after overtime.
After regular time it was 114-114.
- He is perfect.
That is what characterizes great players.
That's what the greatest players of all time do and he's up there at the top of the lists with all the great players, says Lakers coach Darvin Ham.
Based on James' 27.2 scoring average, he will break the record on Feb. 9 against Milwaukee and a fevered USA Basketball countdown.