Luka Doncic delivered 35 points to guide the Lakers to a complete 110-97 victory over the New York Knicks on Sunday. LeBron James missed his second straight game due to a bruised elbow and foot arthritis issues.
The Los Angeles Lakers secured a commanding 110-97 victory against the New York Knicks on Sunday, led by Luka Doncic’s impressive 35-point performance despite playing without superstar LeBron James for the second consecutive game.
James remained sidelined due to a bruised left elbow injury he suffered during Thursday’s matchup against Denver when he collided with Nikola Jokic. The 41-year-old veteran also dealt with ongoing left foot arthritis, according to team officials.
This marked James’ first back-to-back absence since missing the season’s opening 14 games earlier this year due to sciatica affecting his back and leg.
Doncic dominated the third quarter with 14 points, helping Los Angeles outscore New York 34-20 during that period. The star player connected on 11 of 25 field goal attempts and nailed two crucial three-pointers during a decisive 20-8 surge in the final seven-plus minutes of the third quarter, expanding a narrow 68-61 advantage into a comfortable 88-69 cushion heading into the final frame.
Despite building a substantial lead entering the fourth quarter, the Lakers struggled offensively for most of the period before closing strong. They endured a cold streak of 10 consecutive missed shots until Doncic converted a banked layup with 2:34 remaining to establish a 104-91 lead, then sealed the victory with another three-pointer with 65 seconds left on the clock.
Austin Reaves contributed 25 points and made crucial defensive stops against Jalen Brunson in the closing minutes. Rui Hachimura earned another start in place of James and added 13 points, while bench player Luke Kennard provided 12 points as the Lakers finished shooting 43.2 percent from the field, including a disappointing 7-for-24 in the fourth quarter.
Karl-Anthony Towns paced the Knicks with 25 points, including 11 in the final quarter, while grabbing 16 rebounds. Brunson contributed 24 points, six rebounds and seven assists, though he struggled with his shooting at 8-of-19 from the field and turned the ball over seven times as part of New York’s 19 total turnovers.
The visiting Knicks shot 42.7 percent overall and managed just 8-of-34 from three-point range, a stark contrast to their previous meeting when they connected on 18 three-pointers in a 12-point home victory over Los Angeles on February 1st.
Doncic established his rhythm early with 12 first-quarter points, helping the Lakers build a 31-23 lead after Kennard drained a corner three-pointer with 13.9 seconds remaining in the opening period. With Brunson resting, Los Angeles extended their advantage to 45-33 following a Jarred Vanderbilt three-pointer with 7:32 left in the second quarter.
After Vanderbilt’s successful shot, the Lakers went cold with nine straight misses before Reaves beat the halftime buzzer with a difficult five-foot shot to take a 54-49 lead into the break. Los Angeles used a 12-2 run to build a 68-56 advantage on a Reaves three-pointer with 8:18 remaining in the third quarter, saw their lead shrink to seven points on a Hart basket moments later, then pulled away again for good.