LeBron James now third in NBA Finals scoring, first in triple-doubles

CLEVELAND -- After passing Michael Jordan as the No. 1 all-time playoff scorer last month, LeBron James has now eclipsed the Jordan for third place on the all-time NBA Finals scoring list.

The Cleveland Cavaliers star passed Jordan (1,176 points) with his first bucket in Game 4 on Friday night against the Golden State Warriors, an and-1 layup with 9:56 left in the first quarter. James set the mark in his 44th career Finals game; Jordan played 35.

The only players remaining with more Finals points than James are Jerry West (1,679 points) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,317 points).

James broke two other records Friday.

He posted his ninth career triple-double in a Finals game, breaking the record previously held by Magic Johnson. He also broke Jordan's record for most career free throws made in the playoffs, passing Jordan's mark of 1,463.

James detailed his reverence for Jordan when he passed him in playoff scoring in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics.

"I wear the number because of Mike," James said of the No. 23 on his uniform. "I think I fell in love with the game because of Mike, just because of what he was able to accomplish. When you're watching Michael Jordan it's almost like a god. So I didn't think I could be Mike."

The Warriors lead the series 3-1, after Cleveland's 137-116 Game 4 win Friday night.