Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves lead the team to victory over the Knicks without LeBron James.
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers, despite being without one of their key players, secured a victory against one of the top teams in the league, defeating the New York Knicks 110-97 on Sunday.
LeBron James was a late scratch due to a contusion on his left elbow and arthritis in his left foot, but the Lakers’ defensive efforts, along with significant contributions from Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, allowed them to dominate the game.
The Lakers restricted the Knicks, who possess the NBA’s third-best offense, to just 42.7% shooting and forced 19 turnovers, resulting in a scoring output that was 20 points below their season average.
“We definitely need to be a better defensive team, and I think we’re showing that we can do it,” Doncic remarked.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick highlighted the team’s defensive intensity, noting the multiple efforts made by players on each possession and the willingness of Doncic, Reaves, and Marcus Smart to take charges against Knicks players driving to the basket.
“That’s a sacrificial play,” Redick stated. “You have to put your body on the line. Our players have been motivated to do that all year.”
On the offensive end, Doncic led all scorers with 35 points, adding eight rebounds and two steals, while Reaves contributed 25 points, five assists, and three steals. This marked only the third occasion Reaves surpassed the 20-point mark since returning from a left calf strain in early February.
“When I got here … I just told myself to have fun,” Reaves expressed. “I don’t feel like I’ve played poorly [recently]. I just haven’t made a lot of shots, but I believe I’ve done many other things well.”
The Lakers improved to 9-2 this season when Reaves and Doncic play together without James.
“It’s just great being his teammate,” Doncic said regarding Reaves. “He needs to be aggressive like this, but playing with him is so easy because he draws so much attention and helps others too.”
“So, just playing with him makes my life easier.”
Sunday’s performance was also a rare positive result for the Lakers against strong competition.
They had previously recorded a 4-12 record against teams with a .600 winning percentage or better, with one of those victories coming against a Denver Nuggets team that was missing Nikola Jokic.
However, they never trailed against a Knicks team that stands at 41-24 and recently defeated the Nuggets, with Jokic, 142-103 on Friday.
“We kind of took it personal, I think, and then we got this win,” said Rui Hachimura, who scored 13 points while starting in place of James. “So, that was a great team win.”
The Lakers face more tough competition ahead, with four of their next five games scheduled against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Nuggets, and the Houston Rockets twice.
Time will reveal if the victory over the Knicks indicates that L.A. is prepared to tackle this challenging stretch.
“I’m not in a position where I can overreact,” Redick commented. “You guys [in the media] do that. The fans rightfully so should always overreact. It’s what makes fandom so awesome. … My job is not to overreact. We’re 15-9 in our last 24. We’re a top-10 offense and a top-15 defense. That’s what we aimed to achieve coming into the season with this group, and that’s where our group stands right now.”
