As the Toronto Raptors took on the Los Angeles Lakers, one key storyline overshadowed the final score. LeBron James’ historic streak of double-digit scoring was broken after 1,297 games. After the game, head coach Darko Rajakovic revealed their secret weapon for holding James under 10.

“The difference there is only 20 years of experience,” Rajakovic joked when asked about Collin Murray-Boyles’ defense on James, “So it was really good for him to get the opportunity to see what it takes to guard those guys.”

Murray-Boyles, the rookie #9 pick in this year’s NBA Draft, is a lengthy forward known for his defensive prowess. He spent most of his time on the floor shadowing James and protecting the rim, limiting the superstar’s scoring. He stopped James at the rim thrice and even blocked one of his layup attempts.

But Murray-Boyles wasn’t just doing it on the defensive end. He scored 12 points on an efficient 5-7 shooting, including two threes, in just 16 minutes. His production showed off his composure against a legend like James, proving that, despite his rookie status, he can make critical contributions.

The Raptors youngster has long had a reputation for guarding the biggest players. During his sophomore season at South Carolina, he was the only one in college basketball to average at least 16 points, eight rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block while shooting 55% from the field. He even earned All-SEC honors before bringing his multi-positional defending ability to the draft.

Murray-Boyles wasn’t the only man on James, though. Scottie Barnes was another defender playing big minutes on the King, and Rajakovic recognized his contributions too.

“I thought that Scottie did an outstanding job on him,” the Raptors coach said. “The big reason for that is Scottie really putting him in tough positions and tough situations.”

Barnes also had multiple important stops on James and blocked him on one of his signature fadeaways. The forward logged a near-triple-double with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists, along with three blocks.

Barnes and Murray-Boyles’ combined effort showed in the box score. James only made four of his 17 attempts from the field and was 0-5 from deep. However, despite their best efforts, the Raptors fell victim to one of the night’s most dramatic moments.

The 10-point streak ended, but LeBron James chose the win

The Lakers entered Scotiabank Arena seeking a response after being dismantled by the Phoenix Suns earlier in the week. Nine turnovers from Luka Doncic, and LeBron James taking the brunt of the criticism for forcing play-time to extend his 10-point streak. Today, however, everything seemed to flip.

James only scored eight points, but logged a game-high 11 assists, including the final possession, where, instead of forcing a tough shot to reach double digits in points, he passed the ball to an open Rui Hachimura in the corner, who knocked down the game-winner.

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Many expected some sort of frustration from the player who has spent his late 30s redefining longevity. But when asked if losing the streak stung, he just said, “No.”

The following words carried more weight than the record itself: “We won.”

Without Doncic, who was out due to personal reasons, the shorthanded Lakers managed to steal a win during a wild final sequence. LeBron James exclaimed in celebration after Hachimura hit the shot, a visual reminder that the greatest player of his generation values winning over everything else, even history.