LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers played the New York Knicks on their home court of Madison Square Garden. James and the Lakers were coming off a 134-96 win against the Washington Wizards. The Los Angeles Lakers were without their star Power Forward Anthony Davis. He is out with an abdominal strain and will not be available until next week after an evaluation. In the win against the Wizards, LeBron James scored a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds.
The Los Angeles Lakers are at the top of the Pacific division, and fifth in the Western Conference. The last time James played at the Garden, he went 10-of-19 from the field and scored 24 points, with five rebounds and five assists. He and the Lakers won that game 113-105. Could the Lakers do the same without Davis this time? The New York Knicks, number two in the Atlantic division, were coming off a 122-112 win against the visiting Denver Nuggets.
Knicks Point Guard Jalen Brunson scored 30 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field and dished out 15 dimes, giving him a double-double for the game. Knicks Center Karl-Anthony Towns also had a double-double, going 50% from the field, scoring 14 points with 10 rebounds. Would the New York Knicks reunite on their home court to gain another win?
King James Dominates Again
The Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks were tied at 32 after the first quarter. James finished the first with 12 points, and the Lakers led by five at the half. The New York Knicks would put up a good fight, but “King James” would prove too much for the Knicks. James would finish with 33 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists, landing another triple-double in his remarkable career. The Los Angeles Lakers would beat the Knicks on their home court 128-112. Lakers Point Guard Austin Reaves would score 27 points, going 7-of-12 from the field and 4-of-7 from three-point land.
Brunson and Towns would only combine for 28 points. Brunson shot 7-of-18 from the field and 0-of-2 from the three-point line. Towns would go 3-of-12 from the field and 1-of-2 from the three. Six Knicks would finish in double digits but still could not get the win against the Lakers. Knicks Shooting Guard Josh Hart would get a triple-double on the night, notching 26 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists.
Last Game In the Garden
After Saturday night, LeBron James has played 33 games at Madison Square Garden. His record now sits at 24-9. At 40, one would have to wonder if this were the last time we would see James amaze fans at the Garden. In the 33 games James has played in Manhattan, he has averaged 27.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists on the Knicks home court in either a Calivers, Heat, or Lakers jersey.
With the Los Angeles Lakers sitting in a decent spot in their division and western conference, what moves would the Lakers make to solidify their path to the NBA playoffs and possibly another NBA title? We all know “Father Time” is undefeated, but James seems to continue pushing the hand back on time.
James has broken so many records that you would need a good voice like James Earl Jones to give all James’ records some justice. James is still one of the top players in the league, currently sitting 21st in scoring, averaging 24 points a game on 51% shooting from the field, 7.6 rebounds a game, and 9.1 assists a game.
Closing Thoughts
With the trade deadline approaching, should the Lakers make a move to give LeBron James an opportunity to win another title? Players like Austin Reaves, Max Christie, and Rui Hachimura have contributed to the team. Davis has also been playing well, averaging 25.7 points a game, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. The Los Angeles Lakers won’t play again until February 4, when they will play the Los Angeles Clippers on their home court. Could the Lakers add another W to their column and stretch their win streak to three?
