This Monday, James Harden surpassed Shaquille O’Neal’s 28,596 points. Luka Doncic’s 42 points weren’t enough to prevent the Los Angeles Lakers from losing their third straight game, making him the ninth leading scorer in NBA history.

Harden, 36, needs 15 points to pass O’Neal on the NBA scoring list, and he scored 32 points in the Los Angeles Clippers’ 117-109 home game against the Charlotte Hornets.

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer is LeBron James.

Harden also had 10 assists and four steals against the Hornets, helped by Kawhi Leonard’s 35 points.

The Clippers added three straight wins and put pressure on the Memphis Grizzlies for a spot in the West Division play-in.

Lakers entry

The Lakers are going through a tough time, having lost three straight on the field at the Kings despite a great performance from Luka Doncic.

The Slovenian had 42 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and four steals, shooting 16-of-25 from the field and 2-of-9 from beyond the arc.

The Kings, who had won only nine of 39 games this year, defeated the Angelenos with DeMar DeRozan’s 32 points. Former Laker Russell Westbrook had 22 points, five rebounds and seven assists.

LeBron James scored 22 points for the Lakers and was the first to wear a commemorative patch on his jersey, an absolute record celebrating his 23rd season in the NBA.

The patch worn by LeBron was made by collectibles company Topps, and the four-time NBA champion will wear it until the end of this season.

The patch is divided into four colors, representing James’ time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, return to the Cavaliers, and finally his move to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Defeat of Hugo González

The Celtics lost their third game in the top four on a night when Hugo Gonzalez had two points and a rebound off the bench.

Gonzalez made one of two field goals in the 14 minutes he was on the court given to him by coach Joe Mazzula.

The Celtics, without Jaylen Brown, have lost three of their last four games and shot less than 45 percent from the field, highlighting their offensive problems in a season where they can’t rely on their best player, Jayson Tatum.

Boston had its worst offensive numbers of the season in a 95-100 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, and it never got above 96 this Monday in Indianapolis.

Siakam made the crucial play with seven seconds left and had a great game with 21 points (10-of-15 from the field), eight rebounds, and six assists. Peyton Pritchard was the Celtics’ leading scorer with 23 points.

The Brooklyn Nets, led by Spanish manager Jordi Fernandez, also lost to the Dallas Mavericks 113-105, with rookie Cooper Flagg, who was the absolute No. 1 pick in the previous draft, scoring 27 points.

Michael Porter Jr. scored 28 points for the Nets, who are second from bottom in the East (11-26) and have lost four straight.

Ovation for Kevin Love in Cleveland

Kevin Love returned to Cleveland, where he won an NBA championship with the Cavaliers, this time wearing a Utah Jazz jersey and receiving hearty applause from his old fans.

Love had 11 points and three triples in the Jazz’s win, and Keyontae George had 32 points and nine assists.

The Cavs have lost three of their last five games and are in sixth place in the East with a record of 22 wins and 19 losses.

The Philadelphia 76ers also won at home, dominating the Toronto Raptors (115-102) with an 80-point first half.

Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 33 points, and Joel Embiid contributed 27 points for Nick Nurse’s team.