Recap: Lakers Complete Overtime Comeback Against Knicks To Extend Winning Streak To 8
03/07/2025 02:01 AM
The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the hottest teams in the league since the trade deadline and entered their matchup against the New York Knicks on Thursday night riding a seven-game win streak.
In a highly-anticipated matchup between the league’s two biggest markets, the Lakers were able to overcome the Knicks in overtime and extend their winning streak to eight games with a 113-109 victory.
The two stars kickstarted the offense as Luka Doncic opened the game with a 3-pointer, while LeBron James followed up with a couple of strong drives to the rim to give the Lakers an early 9-4 lead. While Jalen Brunson got going from the perimeter, Doncic matched his output to ensure Los Angeles stayed ahead.
Doncic was able to poke holes in the Knicks defense, getting loose for a layup and finding Jarred Vanderbilt for a dunk to extend the lead to seven. Trey Jemison was a boost off the bench scoring a couple of easy baskets in the paint and he helped the Lakers go into the second leading 31-27 after Brunson beat the buzzer with a jumper.
It was a slower start for the Lakers to begin the second as they struggled to find much rhythm on either end of the court, allowing New York to take its first lead of the night. James got L.A. back on track with more drives to the rim, but the Knicks’ physicality started to irritate Doncic who got called for a technical after the officials missed an obvious foul.
The Lakers offense stalled out despite Doncic’s efforts, while O.G. Anunoby played well on both ends to give the Knicks a 10-point lead. Outside of James, Los Angeles’ struggled to score the basketball which led to a 60-51 deficit at halftime.
Doncic opened the second half with another 3-pointer and James went right back to attacking the paint, though the Knicks weathered the storm well. Los Angeles’ inability to score from downtown came back to bite them as New York continued to execute and extend their lead.
Doncic and the bench group seemed to finally break through with a couple of good possessions, inching their way back into the game. However, New York responded with their own run and Los Angeles went into the final quarter trailing 84-76.
The physicality of the game was on full display as both teams didn’t shy away from contact, though this played more in favor of the Knicks. The Lakers played with enough effort and intensity to stay within striking distance, but could never seem to make that extra push.
The team made one last push midway through the quarter, culminating in a clutch three from James to tie the game at 96-96. After briefly taking the lead after a Gabe Vincent 3-pointer, Brunson answered with a 3-point play to it back up at 99-99. However, Josh Hart’s runner at the end of regulation was ruled no good, and the game went into overtime.
Doncic started the extra period with a bucket over Karl-Anthony Towns and followed it up with a deep 3-pointer to give the Lakers a five-point lead. However, Brunson answered with his own quick 4-0 run to make it a one-point game.
The game came down to the final few possessions, with Brunson tying the game at 107 apiece despite badly rolling his ankle. Fortunately, Los Angeles was able to knock down their free throws in the final minute and held on for the hard-earned victory.
What’s next for the Lakers
The Lakers head back on the road for a primetime Saturday night matchup against their rivals the Boston Celtics.
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