The Los Angeles Lakers have picked up momentum over the past few weeks, returning to their Big-3 form and winning four of their last five games. While the occasional defensive lapses are still present, the Lakers' core men certainly seem to be having fun even without LeBron James, as evidenced by Luka Doncic's clip from the New York Knicks' trip to Crypto.com Arena.
Doncic and company got off to a fast start and finished the first quarter 31-23, in what has proven to be a tough day for offenses since then. According to a post on X by ClutchPoints, the Slovenian drew a foul from former Dallas Mavericks teammate Jalen Brunson after driving inside, and couldn't help but laugh immediately afterward.
Luka Doncic is laughing at his former teammate and friend Jalen Brunson after he fouled him 🤣
- ClutchPoints (@clutchpoints) 8 March 2026
James missed his second consecutive game due to a left elbow injury. However, even in his absence, the Lakers looked comfortable offensively for most of the night.
Doncic had a game-high 35 points with eight rebounds and four assists. However, he was only 11-25 from the field and 5-16 from the three-point zone.
Austin Reeves had 25 points, five assists and four rebounds, while DeAndre Ayton looked more willing to be the defensive lynchpin, finishing with six points on 3-4 shooting with eight rebounds in 20 minutes. Luke Kennard provided cover off the bench, playing 27 minutes and finishing with 12 points and two rebounds.
The Lakers were only slightly better from the field than the Knicks, shooting 42.7% overall. However, they were vastly better from beyond the arc, converting 15 of their 44 three-pointers (34.1%), while the Knicks shot 8/34 from the three-point zone.
This win will help the now 38-25 Lakers keep distance from the Phoenix Suns. They are now just a half game behind the Denver Nuggets in 5th place with a 39-25 record.
For New York, Karl-Anthony Towns finished with a team-high 25 points and 16 rebounds on 8-17 from the field. Jalen Brunson followed closely with 24 points, seven assists and six rebounds on 8-19 shooting.
