Is LeBron eternal? More than one fan at Madison Square Garden was asking that question on Saturday after James’ exhibition, as he dazzled with 33 points and a triple-double in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 112-128 victory over the New York Knicks.
It doesn’t matter that he’s 40 years old and in his 22nd NBA season and that Anthony Davis was out injured. LeBron left his mark on the New York basketball temple once again with 14 of 26 shooting from the field (3 of 8 from three-point range), 11 rebounds and 12 assists and some absolutely wonderful plays. There is no better way to ‘celebrate’ the arrival of his possible successor, Luka Doncic, who will form a fearsome partnership with the Los Angeles legend.
Logic suggests that LeBron should not have many more appearances at Madison Square Garden, but ‘King James’ proved once again that on big occasions – like this attractive Saturday night and nationally televised matchup – he shines like no one else in the league. “I have no idea how I keep doing this at 40,” he said in the postgame interview.
Driven by their star, the Lakers (28-19) halted the Knicks’ (32-17) five-game winning streak, who also lost OG Anunoby to a right foot strain. The purple and gold, on the other hand, have won six of their last seven games and eight of their last 10.
Everyone did their part to make up for Davis’ absence (one of those who ‘flies’ with the arrival of the Slovenian)in this important victory, starting with Austin Reaves (27 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists), Rui Hachimura (21 points), Dorian Finney-Smith (15 points with 5 of 6 three-pointers) and Max Christie (15 points). The Lakers boasted accuracy with 58% shooting from the field and 47.5% (19 of 40 from three-point range).
Josh Hart (triple-double with 26 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists) was the best of a disappointing Knicks team that missed its stars, as Jalen Brunson was held to 17 points (7 of 18) and seven assists, and Dominican Karl-Anthony Towns, despite not having Davis in front of him, was very weak with 11 points (3 of 12) and six rebounds.
Pure LeBron
It seemed that without Davis the night could be very long and hard, but the Lakers went into the game biting. Especially LeBron, with 13 points in a great first quarter in which he left some exquisite details. Hachimura (12 points) also started with a lot of desire in a fluid, brave and agile visitor attack.
Without much presence from the defenses at the start of the duel, the Knicks responded with a more choral and balanced offense. Anunoby was the most productive with seven points, but six of the nine home players who took to the court scored in that first quarter, which ended in a 32-32 tie.
JJ Redick’s team did not take their foot off the accelerator, finding gold from the perimeter with the emergence off the bench of a Finney-Smith with four three-pointers in the second period alone. Intense and focused, the Lakers continued to give good feelings while the Knicks, at times, were bogged down and careless.
It was not a big margin at the break, but the Lakers, with 45% (9 of 20) from the perimeter, dominated by 54-59 with 16 points from LeBron, 15 from Hachimura, 12 from Finney-Smith and 10 from Reaves. Anunoby (10 points) was the only Knicks player in double figures followed by Hart with nine. But just over a minute had been played in the second half when he had to go to the locker room after injuring himself in a play without contact with an opponent.
In addition to the moral blow, the Knicks suffered from LeBron, who went back into combustion with 10 points -including a three-pointer falling on one leg- and Reaves, who also asked for the ball with 12 points.
With Towns and Brunson missing, the Knicks relied on Hart’s grit, who with a circus three-pointer on the buzzer and against the board left the Lakers’ margin in practically nothing on the way to the last act (89-91).
However, the resistance of a rather uninspired and unclear Knicks team was beginning to wane. A 4-13 run by the Lakers, crowned by a corner three-pointer from Gabe Vincent, gave them their first +11 (93-104 with 9.01 to go).
The icing on the cake was put by, who else, LeBron, with two dunks in the purest ‘LeBron style’ to round off a fantastic performance in the Big Apple by the 23, who also was able to see his son Bronny debut – and score two points – at Madison Square Garden.
Jordi Fernandez’s Nets surprise
In addition, Spanish coach Jordi Fernandez’s Brooklyn Nets scored one of their most meritorious victories of the season on Saturday by defeating the Houston Rockets, who are second in the Western Conference, 98-110.
The Nets (16-33) were coming off a win over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, which snapped a seven-game losing streak. Now, however, they have won back-to-back games – both on the road – something they had not done since late November. Brooklyn is completely focused on rebuilding its project and getting the best possible draft position so it ‘suits’ them to keep piling up losses from now until the end of the season.
“The concentration was there, the ‘hard play’ was there, and that’s how you win games in this league. You have to give credit to our players, I’m proud of them,” Fernandez said in the post-match press conference.
Ziaire Williams (21 points and 8 rebounds) and D’Angelo Russell (18 points) were the top scorers for the Nets, with six of their nine players scoring at least 10 points. The New Yorkers led by as many as 22 points in the third quarter.
For the Rockets (32-16), who have suffered two consecutive defeats and were without Alperen Sengun on the night, Jalen Green was the attacking reference with 29 points. Fred VanVleet left injured before the break.