LeBron James scored 24 points and the Los Angeles Lakers pulled away down the stretch to beat New York 113-105 Saturday night, snapping the Knicks' nine-game winning streak.
Austin Reaves had 22 points, D'Angelo Russell and Taurean Prince each scored 16, and Anthony Davis finished with 12 points and 18 rebounds as the Lakers won their second straight to move above .500 (26-25).
“We ’re just trying to get to a place where we’re trying to get to a place where we’re playing the type of basketball we envisioned,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “The type of basketball we know we’re capable of and defend at a high, high level. That’s (going to) give you a chance every night. And we’ve got enough firepower in terms of people in the starting lineup, people coming off the bench to where we’re (going to) be able to put points on the board.”
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Jalen Brunson scored 36 points to lead New York (32-18), and Donte DiVincenzo had 26 before fouling out. Josh Hart had 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Precious Achiuwa added 10 points.
“We didn't make enough plays on both sides of the ball,” Brunson said. “Give them credit.”
The game was tight throughout and the Knicks led 86-80 after three quarters, but the Lakers scored the first seven points of the fourth to go ahead. It went back-and-forth with New York taking its last lead at 96-94 on DiVencenzo's 3-pointer with 7:25 remaining.
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“The start of the fourth, we’re up six,” Thibodeau said. “There was a big turnover, we gave up a 3 in transition. They got momentum, and it turned the game right there.”
Prince's three-point play 19 seconds later started Los Angeles' game-clinching 11-0 run, capped by James' fadeaway jumper for a 105-96 lead with with 1:54 left.
Prince and Reaves combined to score 16 of Los Angeles' first 20 points of the fourth quarter.
“That's what we need,” Ham said of Prince and Reaves' fourth quarter outburst. “We have a team full of talented offensive players. The more they assert themselves and stay aggressive, and...deliver; take advantage of the opportunities that they have, the better it will be (and) the more endurance we'll have for LeBron and A.D.”
DiVincenzo’s pull-up jumper with 39.1 seconds left cut the deficit to 105-98. It also ended New York’s nearly seven-minute scoreless streak.
Reaves sandwiched four free throws around a layup by Brunson to push the Lakers’ lead to 109-100. After Brunson converted a three-point play with 11.2 seconds remaining to slice the lead to six, Davis knocked down four free throws around a layup by Brunson in the final seconds to close it out.
James, playing his 32nd career game at Madison Square Garden, was cheered when he came out for pregame warmups, and his two-handed dunk off of a Russell feed 3:12 into the game drew oohs and aahs.
“It’s the Mecca of basketball,” James said. “There’s been so many great players, great teams, great things that come through this building. So (I’m) just happy to be part of it.”
UP NEXT
Lakers: At Charlotte on Monday night.
Knicks: Host Memphis on Tuesday night.
