LOS ANGELES — For the past seven weeks, things have gone as well as possible for the Los Angeles Lakers.
They acquired a generational superstar in Luka Dončić in one of the most shocking trades in NBA history, improving the current roster and setting themselves up for the next half-decade-plus.
They’ve been the hottest team in the NBA, winning 19 of 23 games entering Thursday’s matchup with the New York Knicks (the best record in the league over that stretch), including winning seven straight. They had done so convincingly, trailing by double-digits just once during their win streak.
But on Thursday, the Lakers faced their first bout of adversity, and more notably, their first bout of adversity with Dončić against a good team. (They lost to Utah and Charlotte with Dončić, but those were the second and third games of his tenure, with both sides still adjusting to one another.)
The Lakers trailed by as many as 13 points in the third quarter and 10 points in the fourth quarter to the Knicks, a group desperate to disprove the notion that they can’t beat the league’s elite. Los Angeles’ supporting cast struggled through the first three quarters and combined to shoot just 6-of-17 in the first half. They missed Rui Hachimura, their fourth option offensively and an important frontcourt piece. And despite Austin Reaves’ return from a calf strain technically being a positive, he struggled on both sides of the floor, getting benched for most of the fourth quarter and finishing with eight points (2-of-13 shooting) and six rebounds.
JJ Redick identified three points of emphasis pregame: transition defense, defensive rebounding and containing Jalen Brunson. The Lakers went 0-for-3, allowing 17 fast-break points, 14 offensive rebounds and Brunson to eviscerate them for 39 points and 10 assists.
But as they’ve done numerous times over the past two months, the Lakers found a way to win, beating New York 113-109 in overtime to improve to 40-21 and maintain their No. 2 spot in the Western Conference. They’ve won eight straight games and 20 of 24, the best record in the NBA over that stretch.
“Our guys, in what felt like a playoff game at times, really just gutted out a win,” Redick said.
For most of the first three quarters, the Lakers were carried by their superstars, Dončić and LeBron James. The two finished with notable performances, Dončić posting 32 points, seven rebounds, 12 assists and four steals, and LeBron James finishing with 31 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in a team-high 44 minutes.
But late in the third and fourth quarters, it was the Lakers’ defense — which James and Dončić were important parts of — and their supporting cast that carried the way.
The Lakers held the Knicks to 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting. They had more turnovers (five) than assists (three). Brunson, who badly sprained his ankle with 1:24 left in overtime, went just 2-of-6 in the final frame as the Lakers sent waves of help at him in isolations and pick-and-rolls.
On the final possession of regulation, the Lakers forced Brunson to catch his setup pass near halfcourt, doubling him and forcing him to give up the ball to Josh Hart, who couldn’t get a shot up before the game clock expired. In overtime, the Lakers held the Knicks to 2-of-10 shooting.
“The defense gave up 15 points in the fourth quarter, and we hang our hats there when we weren’t shooting the ball well,” James said. “We didn’t shoot the ball well for quite a while. Especially from the 3-point arc. But we laid our hat on our defense, and then those outside shots started to flow.”
Rookie Dalton Knecht, who has found a groove over the past few games, made a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the third quarter and give the Lakers some much-needed momentum. He scored on a drive over Karl-Anthony Towns in the fourth, an important bucket in a low-scoring frame. Knecht had 11 points, one of only four Lakers to crack double figures.
But Gabe Vincent, who entered the game having shot just 6-of-35 on 3-pointers in his previous seven games, was the fourth-quarter hero, making three 3-pointers over the final 5:59 to help the Lakers tie the game — and briefly take the lead — before going to overtime. He scored 12 points, going 4-of-4 on 3s in the second half.
“I think Gabe (Vincent) won the game with those three 3s in the fourth quarter,” Dončić said.
Once the game was close, the Lakers used two of the biggest clutch-time cheat codes in James and Dončić’s heroic shot-making. James drilled two 3s late in the fourth as the Lakers traded baskets with the Knicks. Dončić sealed the win by opening overtime with two jumpers, both out of hunting Towns, to give the Lakers a 104-99 lead.
A combination of resilience, playing harder than their opponents and outstanding shot-making and playmaking from their superstars has combined to make the Lakers look like a juggernaut on most nights. That wasn’t the case against the Knicks, but the Lakers will still take the win in a Western Conference playoff race that’ll likely come down to the final day of the regular season.
We probably shouldn’t have won that game,” Reaves said. “It’s special to not play the way you want to and still come out and win.”
The Lakers will be tested again — and soon. They’re heading out on a four-game road trip to Boston, Brooklyn, Milwaukee and Denver, the latter two matchups a brutal back-to-back. The Boston-Milwaukee-Denver portion of the trip is about as tough of a three-in-four-game stretch as there is in the NBA.
At the same time, the Lakers have passed basically every test thrown their way recently. They’ve won 10 straight games against above-.500 teams, and have racked up statement wins over the Celtics, Nuggets, Knicks, Golden State Warriors (twice) and LA Clippers (three times).
Hachimura (left knee) is set to be reassessed on Friday and is expected to make the trip with the team, per Redick. This will be the Lakers’ first extended road trip of the Dončić era and a series of measuring-stick games as they approach the stretch run of their season.
