Knicks reel off 6th straight win, beat Lakers in what might be LeBron James’ final game at Madison Square Garden
LeBron James will walk away with a loss in what could be his final NBA game at Madison Square Garden.
Buoyed by an 18-point first half from Luka Dončić, the Los Angeles Lakers opened a 56-52 halftime lead over the host New York Knicks on Sunday night. But a 13-5 run by the Knicks to close the third quarter turned a tie game into a 90-82 lead that New York never relinquished en route to a 112-100 victory.
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The Knicks put together an 18-of-42 (43%) night from 3 and a balanced offensive effort in which six players scored in double figures and three players scored over 20 to secure the victory. It was New York’s sixth straight victory after a 2-9 stretch that raised alarms in New York and reportedly sparked a players-only meeting led by team captain Jalen Brunson.
The Knicks are now 31-18 and tied for second place in the East with the Boston Celtics behind the first-place Detroit Pistons. And the noise surrounding their January fade has dissipated.
The Knicks’ wasted victory could have been James’ last game in one of basketball’s most iconic arenas. If that’s the case, James put in a great effort with 22 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. He had one of the highlights of his season with an alley-oop dunk in traffic to extend the Lakers’ lead early in the third quarter.
But it wasn’t enough to fend off a Knicks team coming back from an 11-game slump.
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James, 41, has not announced whether or not he will retire at the end of this season. But there is speculation that this could be his last. If so, he’s in the midst of an Eastern Conference swing that could represent his final game in opposing arenas.
This story will be updated.
