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It's really no wonder the Cleveland Cavaliers lost for the first time since Nov. 9 this week.

LeBron James is shooting the ball better than ever from the field and from long range, which is prompting some serious looks into the aging curve. As in, did he break it?

ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton notes:

"Even an aging curve with gentle decline like James has experienced so far during the regular season will typically get steeper (downward) as a player heads toward his mid-30s. That makes it all the more surprising that instead of declining sharply, James has instead trended the other direction so far in 2017-18. His current .796 player win percentage, highest in the NBA, would be James' best mark since 2012-13 -- his last MVP season at age 28."

It's even possible James' play is contagious, that his own hot shooting has somehow been absorbed by the guys around him.

According to NBA.com, Cleveland set a franchise record against the Hawks on Tuesday by making at least 10 treys in 17 consecutive games (James tied a career high with 17 assists in that one) and would end up pushing that streak 18 games on Thursday against the Lakers.

Still, a loss is a loss, and the Cavs suffered one against Indy this week. Great as James and Cleveland have been, you really can't suffer a defeat and hold your ground this high up in the rankings—not when the top two teams just keep winning.