At beginning of tough stretch, Lakers show grit with overtime victory over Knicks

Los Angeles begins grueling five-game stretch with narrow win

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It is fitting that in a town built on movies and television, JJ Redick likes to use a popular directing term to refer to different moments in his first season as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Lakers’ grit shines through in overtime victory

On Thursday night, the Lakers provided Redick with another memorable callback moment.

Los Angeles began a stretch of five games against some of the top teams in the NBA with a 113-109 overtime victory over the New York Knicks.

The Lakers have won eight straight and are second in the Western Conference at 40-21.

“Our guys, in what felt like a playoff game at times, really just gutted out a win,” Redick said.

Rallying late, Lakers come from behind to win

The Lakers trailed by double digits midway through the fourth quarter, but rallied to force overtime. It was tied at 107 — on free throws by injured Knicks star Jalen Brunson — late in the extra session before Los Angeles closed it out with a 6-2 run.

“We haven’t had many of those games because frankly, we’ve had the lead a lot lately,” Redick said. “I think it’s a good reminder for our group going forward that we can win games like this where we’re not at our best offensively, where we get off to a slow start defensively but we have enough toughness and grit to get these games.”

Team effort lifts Lakers to victory

On a night when Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 32 points and LeBron James added 31, it was other players who also stepped up when needed.

Gabe Vincent made three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and Jaxson Hayes made a pair of free throws to give the Lakers a 109-107 lead. Austin Reaves was 2 of 13 from the field after missing two games due to a right calf sprain, but hit a 3-pointer in overtime.

Doncic praises Gabe Vincent’s clutch shooting

“A lot. I think Gabe won us the game with those 3s in the fourth quarter. That was huge for us," Doncic said. "That is how we got the energy up, that is how we got the crowd in.

“To win these types of games, especially at home, you build more chemistry.”

Lakers look to build momentum

The Lakers have won nine of 11 since Doncic made his LA debut on Feb. 10 and 20 of their last 24. But this stretch could provide a clearer picture of how much of a factor they can be in the postseason.

Los Angeles hits the road for four tough games. It begins on Saturday night with a nationally-televised game against Boston, followed by a visit to Brooklyn on Monday. After that is a back-to-back set on March 13 and 14 against Milwaukee and Denver.

LeBron James emphasizes team’s focus on improvement

“I think we’re just holding each other accountable. We want to get better," James said. “So, guys are buying into what JJ and the coaches give us every single night. Our keys to success, our keys to goals and then we just try to go out and execute that. It’s close to 48 minutes or 53, like I said tonight, and (we) live with the results.”

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Conclusion

The Los Angeles Lakers showed grit and determination in their overtime victory over the New York Knicks, demonstrating their ability to win close games when not at their best. This stretch of five games against top teams in the NBA will be a crucial test for the Lakers, and they will look to build on their momentum as they face a tough road ahead.

FAQs

• How did the Los Angeles Lakers win their game against the New York Knicks?
  The Lakers won 113-109 in overtime, coming from behind to force extra time and then closing out the game with a 6-2 run.
• Who led the Lakers in scoring?
  Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 32 points, while LeBron James added 31.
• What is the Lakers’ record in their last 11 games?
  The Lakers have won nine of their last 11 games, with a record of 9-2.