There was a lot of anticipation leading up to the Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks game on Thursday, March 6, at Madison Square Garden. The game was an important one for both franchises, since heading into the game, Los Angeles was in second place in the Western Conference, while the Knicks were third in the Eastern Conference. With those numbers at this point in the season, both of those teams are looking at every game being important to the upcoming playoffs.
In an overtime victory, the Lakers inched out a win over the Knicks, 113-109. Both LeBron James and Luka Doncic scored more than 30 points, which helped solidify the win over their rivals.
Following the game, James made a clear statement about his Lakers teammates and what this win means to them.
LeBron James Has Humbling Statement
While James and Doncic almost always have big numbers, and those numbers are important to the Lakers, following the game, James made it clear that he believes every guy on the court is important. He praised guard Gabe Vincent, who scored 12 points and made all four of his 3-point attempts.
Over on the Knicks side, Jalen Brunson was able to notch 37 points before leaving the game in overtime with an ankle injury. While 37 points is a good showing, Vincent was able to guard Brunson enough to stop the bleeding, so to speak.
“He was spectacular,” James said regarding Vincent after the game. “His play, both on the defensive end and obviously the shooting that we needed when we’re not making any outside shots.”
James elaborated on the Lakers being a team, not one person, stating, “There’s no such thing as non-key players on this team.”
Here’s where James send a powerful, three-word message on the chemistry of the team. He said, “Everybody is key.”
James went on, stating, “Everybody who steps on the floor has a role.” James finished the game with 31 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
Doncic also sang the praises of Vincent, stating after the game to press, “Gabe [Vincent] won us the game.”
The win took the Los Angeles Lakers to a 40-21 record. Their next game is against the reigning champion Boston Celtics on Saturday, March 8, on the road. Meanwhile, the New York Knicks’ next game is Friday, March 7, against the Los Angeles Clippers, who are coming off a high-profile win over the Detroit Pistons. That’s a lot of Los Angeles for the Knicks in two days.
LeBron James Talks 2025 Season, Including All-Star Honors
It’s been a hot season for James, and during the season, he once again made the NBA All-Stars.
“It’s always special and very humbling and I don’t take it for granted, being an All-Star,” James said about the honor last month. “When I was a kid, I always watched the All-Star Game and dreamed of being on that floor. It’s always special and I’m pretty happy about it.”
This season, he hit over 70 million fan votes for All-Star selection, which is a new record, has been the top vote-getter 10 times (another record) — and that’s just the tip of the iceberg for James’ amazing All-Star achievements. James is also the oldest player currently in the league and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
