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.”

For any first-year player, guarding LeBron is considered one of the NBA’s true baptism-by-fire assignments. James has scored in double figures against more than 450 different defenders in his career, including multiple generations of wings and forwards. For Rajakovic to trust a 20-year-old with that responsibility speaks volumes about Murray-Boyles’ defensive maturity.

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.

Those plays weren’t out-of-nowhere either at South Carolina; he led his team in steals and blocks while grading out as one of the most impactful defenders in the country, the kind of advanced-metrics darling scouts circled precisely for matchups like this.

At 6-foot-7 with a reported near 7-foot-1 wingspan and a 240-plus-pound frame, he’s built exactly for these kinds of assignments, strong enough for bigs but long and quick enough to bother star wings at the rim.

Rajakovic also emphasized how valuable the matchup was for the rookie, saying it was “an opportunity to see what it takes to guard those guys,” especially someone with LeBron’s size, strength, and experience. “Same thing for Austin Reaves, who is a really, really hard matchup,” Rajakovic added. “I think we needed to do a better job there of not fouling him in some situations when he was already picking the ball up and going to the rim.”

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 recognised 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.” And at the same time, he’s a player who is really good with the ball with his size, with his understanding of the game. He just sees the floor really, really well. We missed our shot at the end, and they made their shot at the end.

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.

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.