LeBron James, Luka Doncic Star vs. Knicks as NBA Fans Call Lakers' Win Game of Season
The vibes continue to be extremely high for the Los Angeles Lakers after a thrilling 113-109 overtime victory over the New York Knicks on Thursday night.
With a combined 63 points, 20 assists and 19 rebounds from LeBron James and Luka Dončić, the Lakers erased a 10-point deficit in the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter to force overtime.
New York's superstar did everything in his power to carry the team. Jalen Brunson finished with 39 points and 10 assists in 41 minutes. He didn't get help from the Knicks' other star, as Karl-Anthony Towns was held to 12 points on 3-of-13 shooting.
Fan reaction to the Lakers' victory, their eighth straight, was extremely positive with many praising it as the best game of the season.
Any concerns coming out of the Dončić trade about how he and James would gel given how ball-dominant both players are have been quickly alleviated.
Dončić is the engine driving the offense, but James is having no problems getting his and having a positive impact defensively. He's averaging 26 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists per game with Dončić in the lineup.
As great as the offensive output by Dončić and James, perhaps the most impressive part of this win for the Lakers was their defense. They held the fourth-best offense in the NBA by rating to 109 points in 53 minutes.
New York shot just 39.4 percent from the field and 10-of-43 from three-point range.
Everything the Lakers (40-21) are doing right now is coming up aces. With 19 wins in their last 23 games, they are seven victories away from matching their win total from last season, with 21 games left to play.
Los Angeles still occupies the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, but there's not a lot of wiggle room despite this hot stretch. The Denver Nuggets (40-22) are just one-half game back, with the Memphis Grizzlies (38-24) and Houston Rockets (13.5) both within three games of the Lakers.
Things will only get tougher for the Lakers when they begin a four-game road trip starting on Saturday against the Boston Celtics. The trip will also include matchups against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 13 and the Nuggets on March 14.
