By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Luka Doncic went two assists shy of a triple-double, but the Los Angeles Lakers fell into a double-digit hole in the fourth quarter en route to a 112-100 loss against the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
Lasting 36:53, the Slovenian superstar piled up a game-high 30 points with 10/23 from the field, including 5/14 three-pointers. He added 15 rebounds and eight assists, besides committing three turnovers in New York.
With one more stop left in an eight-game road trip, opposite the Brooklyn Nets in Barclays Center on Tuesday, the team coached by JJ Redick was forced to 29-19 in the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season. Sixth in the Western Conference standings, the Lakers are battling for the highest possible seed.
“I think we’re in a good spot. Obviously, we have some work to do. Today, we obviously missed a lot of good looks, but I think we have a great group,” noted 26-year-old Doncic in a postgame press conference.
Meanwhile, German Maxi Kleber squeezed in one rebound in 59 seconds.
A European starter for the Knicks, British OG Anunoby tallied 25 points on 9/15 field goals, including four triples, eight rebounds, three steals, and three assists over 33:48, helping to complete the jump to 31-18.
Coming off the bench for head coach Mike Brown, French Mohamed Diawara chipped in three points in 5:25, and German Ariel Hukporti logged 47 fruitless seconds. In contrast, French Guershon Yabusele did not play, and French Pacome Dadiet was assigned to the G League affiliate, Westchester Knicks.