James missed his 12th game of the season with an injury that has required constant maintenance. The Lakers honored his achievement with a pregame ceremony in which he thanked his fans and his family while describing the week as “surreal.”

Despite using their 28th starting lineup in 56 games this season, the short-handed Lakers improbably took a 58-50 halftime lead while Milwaukee missed 23 of its 28 3-point attempts.

THE REAL STORY

Davis ended a surge of internet speculation about why he was curiously sitting on the Lakers’ bench instead of watching the moment James broke the scoring record Tuesday: He didn’t realize LeBron was about to make history.

“We were losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a game that we needed, and I was (ticked) off that we were losing,” Davis said. “It’s very simple. It’s nothing had to do with Bron. He knows that.”

TIP-INS

Bucks: Crowder is unlikely to join the team before it returns home to Milwaukee, Budenholzer said. The Bucks gave up George Hill, Serge Ibaka, Jordan Nwora and three future second-round picks to get the defense-minded, playoff-tested Crowder, who played at Marquette. “I just feel like Jae is a winner,” Budenholzer said. “His toughness, his defense, what he brings on that end of the court is special.”

Lakers: Coach Darvin Ham said James had “imaging” done on his foot, but it didn’t show “anything extensive, just normal wear and tear.” ... Ham is hoping all five newcomers are available for their next game Saturday. “All those guys bring unique skill sets that we need,” Ham said.