LeBron James blasts officials after Nikola Jokic incident

The Lakers could not complete the rally from there, and the Nuggets managed to hold on down the stretch.

LeBron James makes feelings clear after perceived no-call

James finished the night with 16 points, five rebounds and eight assists, but his postgame comments had nothing to do with the history he just made. Instead, he directed his anger at the officials for what he felt was a missed foul call on the play that resulted in his injury.

James believed Jokic set an illegal screen that should have been whistled, and when asked what explanation the referees gave him afterward, he let his frustration show, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

"It's the same [expletive], 'Marginal,'" James said. "It's the same [expletive]. It's, it's, it's … whatever. That's all they keep saying is, 'marginal.' I'm so [expletive] tired of that word."

The loss stings more than usual given where the Lakers sit in the standings. L.A. is battling to avoid sliding into the Play-In Tournament, and every game matters in a packed Western Conference race.

Defensive lapses have plagued them all season, and those mistakes keep showing up at the worst times. With a brutal stretch of games on the horizon, James knows the margin for error is shrinking fast.