The Los Angeles Lakers picked up a comprehensive 128-112 win over the New York Knicks to win their eighth game in their last 10 outings. The franchise improved to 28-19 because LeBron James made it his mission to ensure the Lakers picked this win up.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick gave LeBron his flowers after the game, crediting him for leading the squad to a big win.
“He just led, he led tonight with his spirit, his force, his voice. He played a fantastic statistical game, but from the beginning, it was clear he was on a mission.”
Redick also complimented the team as a whole for executing their game plan to ensure Karl Anthony-Towns and Jalen Brunson were non-factors in the contest.
“They executed the gameplan… Completely took Karl Anthony-Towns out of the game. He’s had a fantastic season and we sort of neutralized him. Our iso defense on Brunson was excellent. We were willing to live with contested twos, he took two threes tonight and didn’t make any.”
Redick credited the recent Lakers success without Anthony Davis to a team-wide identity of resilience which he thinks three role-players on their roster embody.
“We’re building a resiliency into our group and a high competitive spirit. I can’t overstate how important it is to have guys like Dorian Finney-Smith, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Gabe Vincent, just competing at a high level every single night. It’s a huge difference-maker for our group.”
This was a big win for the Lakers, led by LeBron had 33 points (14-26 FG), 11 rebounds, and 12 assists. He became the first player in NBA history to notch multiple triple-doubles after turning 40 years old.
Austin Reaves contributed 27 points (7-12 FG) and six assists, Rui Hachimura had 21 points (8-12 FG), Max Christie had an impressive 15 points (6-10 FG), and Dorian Finney-Smith came off the bench to add 15 points (5-6 FG) in the win. Players like Jarred Vanderbilt played a big role in limited minutes, grabbing eight rebounds in under 14 minutes of action.
LeBron was the center of the Lakers universe tonight, with his teammates perfectly orbiting around him. This led to one of the most efficient offensive nights for the team this season, shooting 58.0 FG% from the field and 47.5 3P% from beyond the arc. The Knicks didn’t stand a chance against such offensive efficiency.
James is averaging 24.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 9.1 assists this season.
He’ll be playing for the Western Conference in the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, his 21st consecutive selection as a starter in the contest. His iconic career keeps getting longer and performances like tonight prove to the world that there’s no reason for him to walk away from the game just yet.
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