The New York Knicks spoiled what could have been LeBron James’ final game at Madison Square Garden, extending their winning streak to six games with a 112-100 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
OG Anunoby scored 25 points and reserve Landry Shamet added 23 to lead the Knicks.
Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player James, a 41-year-old Lakers star, remains available beyond this season, his NBA record 23rd. But he says playing at the Garden meant “everything” to him.
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“It’s the mecca of basketball in New York. It’s the Big Apple. Being at MSG, so many guys have walked this floor, basketball, entertainment, actors, musicians, everything. It’s a wide cross-section of America, people, that have graced this floor,” James said.
“I hope I’m like a little snippet of someone who came here and was able to make a little dent from a visitor’s point of view. It’s always cool here. I’ve always loved these fans.”
While not saying it was his farewell to the garden, James noted: “When the time comes, it will always have a special place. »
Josh Hart added 20 points for the Knicks while All-Star guard Jalen Brunson had 12 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.
“We just played together,” Brunson said of their winning streak. “Staying together is the most important part, supporting each other and holding each other accountable.
“We have to keep doing it. We can’t be complacent. It’s a collective effort.”
The Knicks improved to 31-18, second in the Eastern Conference behind Detroit. The Lakers fell to 29-19 despite 30 points from Luka Doncic and 22 from James, who was named to his record 22nd NBA All-Star Game as a reserve by NBA coaches.
CHEEKY SUPERSTAR SWAP
Doncic appeared to have a parting gift for Brunson before the two former Mavericks teammates left the Garden Court.
As Knicks and Lakers players embraced after the Knicks’ 112-100 victory, Doncic flashed his middle finger after the star point guard finished another postgame exchange and walked over.
Doncic appeared to be joking with the gesture, while Brunson appeared to smile as he moved closer.
Luka Doncic gives the bird to Jalen Brunson | 00:35
The two overlapped in Dallas for four seasons before the Mavericks allowed Brunson to enter free agency and sign with the Knicks, where he has since become their captain and one of the best players in the league.
That left Doncic as Dallas’ cornerstone for the next two seasons, until the Mavericks surprisingly sent him to the Lakers last season.
“Definitely weird,” Brunson told reporters after the game when asked if he had seen Doncic in a Lakers jersey. “I think we all expected him to stay in Dallas the longest. But yeah, now he’s a Laker, he’s playing really well and still doing the things he’s doing.”
– with New York Post
SPURS, OKC WINS
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points and added 13 assists while Cason Wallace scored a career-high 27 points with seven three-pointers as defending champions Oklahoma City won 121-111 in Denver.
“We knew we had to get it into this building if we wanted to get a W,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
French star Victor Wembanyama had 25 points, eight rebounds, five blocked shots, four steals and two assists to spark San Antonio’s 112-103 home victory over Orlando.
The game was pushed back to a night game after the Spurs (33-16) struggled to get out of snowstorm-hit Charlotte.
Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen scored 40 points and grabbed 17 rebounds as the Cavaliers won 130-111 at Portland.
Detroit posted the most lopsided victory in team history as Jalen Duren scored 21 points while Cade Cunningham had 18 points and 12 assists in a 130-77 rout of visiting Brooklyn.
“It’s not just that you’re not playing consistently: it’s that you’re stopping. And we can’t allow that,” Nets coach Jordi Fernández said.
“So it starts with me; I have to create habits… So obviously this one hurts. I have to help them be better.”
The 53-point bombardment comes after other recent big defeats against the Knicks (-54 points) and the Clippers (-37).
“Man, we just have to learn from it,” said Nic Claxton, who had 10 points in the first quarter and was scoreless afterward. “But we just can’t keep getting beat by 50. It’s really demoralizing as a group for us. We have to come together and find ways to at least keep the games closer.”
Swedish guard Pelle Larsson and Bam Adebayo each scored 20 points as host Miami beat Chicago 134-91, the third-largest rout in Heat history.
Jaylen Brown had 30 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Boston Celtics past Milwaukee 107-79.
RJ Barrett scored 21 points and Brandon Ingram added 19 for Toronto in a 107-100 home win over Utah. Finnish Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with 27 points.
Washington rookie Will Riley scored 18 points off the bench to lead the host Wizards past Sacramento 116-112, extending the Kings’ losing streak to six games.
Kawhi Leonard scored 20 points and Ivica Zubac had 14 points and 20 rebounds to power the Los Angeles Clippers to a 117-93 triumph in Phoenix.
-AFP
