NBA: Los Angeles Lakers at Washington Wizards On the eve of LeBron James’ annual visit to Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks were once again reminded that Jalen Brunson is the star they’ve long needed since James entered the NBA.
Brunson will look to keep the Knicks perfect during a five-game homestand on Saturday night as New York faces the Los Angeles Lakers in their first meeting of the season.
The Knicks have been off since Wednesday, when Brunson joined a rare group of franchise legends by scoring 30 points and dishing out 15 assists in a 122-112 victory over the Denver Nuggets. Meanwhile, the Lakers continued their six-game road trip on Thursday with a dominant 134-96 win over the Washington Wizards.
Brunson’s historic double-double was another highlight in his superstar season, marking his third year as the Knicks’ leader.
Named an All-Star starter on January 23, Brunson is averaging 25.9 points and a career-high 7.5 assists per game, leading the Knicks toward their third consecutive playoff berth after just one postseason appearance in the nine seasons before his arrival.
Brunson was particularly effective on Wednesday, scoring 18 points in the third quarter to give the Knicks the lead and adding seven assists as New York pulled away in the final period. He became just the fourth player in franchise history to record at least 30 points and 15 assists in a game, the first since Nate Robinson’s 33 points and 15 assists on Feb. 11, 2009.
“He was just special,” said Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns. “‘Cap’ is special. Everyone knows. We needed him to score tonight, we needed him to do what he does best. And he did that. That’s why he’s special. Whenever his name is called in the biggest moment, he’s ready.”
No one has been as consistently ready as LeBron James, who turned 40 in December but is still posting averages of 23.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 9.0 assists, alongside nine triple-doubles in his 22nd NBA season. Against the Wizards on Thursday, James scored 24 points and handed out 11 assists in just 26 minutes, playing through a persistent left foot injury.
The Lakers were up 78-45 at halftime and led 97-62 when James exited with 3:24 left in the third quarter. The win was their seventh in the last nine games, keeping Los Angeles in fifth place in the Western Conference, one game ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves, the first team outside a guaranteed playoff spot.
“Don’t overlook the fact that, by the way, he’s 40 years old in Year 22 with every accolade under the sun and he comes out on a Thursday night in a non-nationally televised game against a team that’s really struggling and he’s the tone-setter,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick.
James averages 26.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 7.3 assists in 59 games against the Knicks.
