Lakers edge Knicks in OT; Brunson goes down with ankle injury

MANILA, Philippines — The Los Angeles Lakers came from double digits down and outlasted the New York Knicks, 113-109, in overtime to win their eighth straight game Friday morning (Manila time) at the Crypto.com arena in California. 

The Lakers trailed by 10 points in the fourth quarter and stormed back to force overtime, where the breaks of the game went the home team’s way. 

The dynamic duo of Luka Doncic and LeBron James led the way for Los Angeles. 

Doncic finished with 32 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds, while James tallied 31 markers, 12 boards and eight dimes. Gabe Vincent added 12 points, including big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. 

The two teams were trading haymakers in overtime, with the Knicks climbing out of an early five-point hole thanks to the offensive outburst of Jalen Brunson. 

With 1:24 remaining, Brunson was fouled while shooting a layup. However, he stepped on the foot of Austin Reaves, leading him to roll his ankle.

Despite the injury, Brunson sank both free throws to tie the game up at 107. He left the court shortly after. 

In the next possession, big man Jaxson Hayes was fouled on a layup and made both freebies. 

After Deuce McBride missed a jumper on the other end, Karl-Anthony Towns was called for a loose ball foul on James. James then made both as well, giving them a 111-107 cushion with 38.6 seconds remaining. 

After a miss in the next play, OG Anunoby was able to carom a board and put it up and-one, giving the Knicks an opportunity to creep closer, 109-111, with 10.7 seconds left. 

But Anunoby missed the extra free throw, and a pair of freebies by James iced the game. 

With the Lakers trailing by 10, 80-90, in the fourth, they unleashed a 10-1 run capped by a corner trey by James. 

Josh Hart then answered with a triple of his own to give the Knicks a four point cushion, 94-90, with 3:24 remaining. 

But 3-pointers by James and Vincent gave Los Angeles the 99-96 lead with 1:21 remaining, which was their first lead since the second quarter. 

An and-one play by Brunson tied things up with 46.4 seconds to go. James had the opportunity to give Los Angeles the lead with a triple, but he missed it. 

With 9.1 seconds left, the ball went to the Knicks. Brunson was almost immediately doubled, and he passed it to Hart, but Hart took too long and could not get the shot off in time. 

Brunson chalked up 39 points, 10 assists and four rebounds in 41 minutes of play for the Knicks. Anunoby added 20 points, while Josh Hart chipped in 18 markers, 10 boards and four steals. 

Towns struggled with just 12 points on 3-of-13 shooting alongside 14 rebounds. 

New York has now lost two straight games and is in danger of missing Brunson depending on the severity of his ankle injury. They dropped to 40-22 in the season, still third in the East. 

The Lakers, on the other hand, rose to 40-21.