LeBron James has triple-double at MSG, Lakers beat Knicks

NEW YORK (AP) — LeBron James had 33 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds in his 10th triple-double of the season, enjoying another memorable night at Madison Square Garden and leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 128-112 victory over the New York Knicks on Saturday.

James improved to 23-8 at his favorite arena to visit, easily surpassing the 28 points per game he had been averaging in the building. He also became the seventh NBA player with 2,500 3-pointers. James made three of the Lakers’ 19, one off their season high.

Austin Reaves added 27 points and Rui Hachimura had 21 for the Lakers, who shot 58% from the field.

Josh Hart had 26 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in his seventh triple-double of the season, but the Knicks had their five-game winning streak snapped. Jalen Brunson added 17 points and Mikal Bridges had 16.

Takeaways

Lakers: With five players making at least three 3-pointers, the Lakers showed off the kind of balanced shooting that makes any team with James dangerous.

Knicks: More important than the game for the Knicks is the status of OG Anunoby, who limped off with a sprained right foot in the third quarter after scoring 13 points.

Key moment

The chants for Bronny James grew louder late in the game and he finally got in when his father checked out with 1:50 to play. Bronny made a nice lefty layup on his only shot.

Key stat

Knicks All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns shot just 3 for 12 and finished with 11 points.

Up next

The Lakers go back to Los Angeles but not quite home, finishing their six-game trip Tuesday at the Clippers. The Knicks host Houston on Monday.

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