Lakers 128, Knicks 112: “Ughhhhhh I hate losing to this old man”

Josh Hart logs a triple-double and Jalen Brunson adds 17, but it’s not enough to defeat a determined LeBron James.

It is a rare occasion when the opposing team receives cheers at Madison Square Garden. When LeBron comes to town, though, the James jerseys come out in droves. He and his Los Angeles Lakers (28-19) strutted into MSG tonight, determined to end the New York Knicks (32-17) five-game win streak. King James had to log a 33-point, 11-rebound, 12-assist triple-double to do it, but win they did, 128-112.

Quoth GhostsofHarryGallatin: “Ughhhhhhh I hate losing to this old man when we have our best team of his career. Really demoralizing as a fan having been through it all.” Yeah, it sucks to squander Josh Hart’s seventh triple-double of the season (26-13-11). But, the Knicks suffered a big blow when OG Anunoby sprained his ankle just after halftime, and JJ Redick game-planned an effective strategy to mostly neutralize Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson. It’s not a doom-and-gloom loss by any means.

First Half

LeBron may not have another chance to grace the Madison Square Garden court. He seized tonight’s opportunity, starting the game with a driving layup that sparked a 12-6 run for L.A. On the Knicks’ side, Josh Hart brought the heat against his former team, chasing down rebounds, pushing the pace, and helping New York close the gap. Despite five turnovers, the Knicks had tied the score at 32 by quarter’s end. LeBron led all scorers with 13 points.

Both teams shot better than 53% from the field. We expected New York to have an advantage down low with Anthony Davis out and Rui Hachimura in, but Karl-Anthony Towns shot—and missed—only once in the first quarter. And somehow, no foul was whistled on this:

To start the second quarter, a Knicks lineup featuring Cameron Payne, Deuce McBride, OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, and Karl-Anthony Towns matched the Lakers shot for shot. By the seven-minute mark, the starters were back on the court. For the Lakers, Dorian Finney-Smith, acquired from Brooklyn in December, had a mixed first half with highlights including a steal and four triples, but he also missed a defensive assignment allowing Anunoby to hit a three-pointer. With Finney-Smith and Rui Hachimura hitting from deep, the Lakers regained the lead and held a 59-54 advantage at halftime.

James led all scorers with 16 points. OG Anunoby topped the Knicks stat sheet with 10 first-half points, and, off the bench, Achiuwa had already racked up nine rebounds and seven points. New York had cooled off, making 5-of-16 from downtown in the half compared to L.A.’s 9-of-20. The Knicks had won the glass 24-17 and the points in the paint 30-24, and had an assist on 17 of their 22 field goals; but they were behind in fast break points 11-2.

Second Half

The Knicks suffered a disheartening development when Anunoby sprained his right foot and promptly limped to the locker room. Also, according to Stefan Bondy (NY Post), OG has dealt with calf soreness recently. Oyyy.

After that, Thibs rolled with Achiuwa alongside KAT and the Nova boys. They managed to tie the game before King James flexed again and put the visitors up by nine, their biggest lead of the night. Jarred Vanderbilt, a game-time decision tonight, did New York a big favor by fouling Deuce for a four-point play. Soon after, Deuce stole a missed free-throw rebound from LeBron to give our heroes another possession. Hustle plays! Speaking of, when Josh Hart nailed a buzzer beater from the logo, New York was down by two, 91-89.

Kicking off the last period, Los Angeles went on a 13-4 run. James showed no signs of fatigue, running, dishing, and dunking. L.A.’s Gabe Vincent had a quiet night until the fourth, when he swished two triples to help his squad go ahead by 12 with eight minutes left.

New York—and more specifically, Josh Hart—wasn’t ready to wave a white flag. Scoring five unanswered points, and then converting a steal to a Josh dunk, they were within seven with 5:40 on the clock. The resurgence was short-lived. The Lakers scored six straight, went up by 13, and the game felt out of reach with four minutes to go. The crowd knew it, too. As chants of “We Want Bronny” began to fill the World’s Most Famous, and Knicks jerseys began heading toward the exits, LeBron was all smiles, having accomplished his goal—one more impressive performance on Broadway.

Up Next

No rest for the wicked. The Knicks host the Houston Rockets on Monday. Rest up, Knickerbockers.

Box Score