NEW YORK (AP) — LeBron James came within 89 points of the NBA goal-scoring record and moved up to fourth on the assists list, finishing with a triple-double in his return to Madison Square Garden as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New York Knicks 129-123 on Tuesday night.
James had 28 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, with the points giving him a career high of 38,299. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the leader with 38,387.
But James’ game is always about more than scoring, as he proved again on Tuesday. He fed Dennis Schroder for a 3-pointer that broke a 118 stand with 3:13 left, grabbed his 10th rebound later in overtime, then headed to the basket for a 127–121 lead with 19 seconds left. To do.
“He just does everything,” said Lakers coach Darvin Ham. “That’s what great players do. It’s what the greats of all time do, and he’s at the top of their lists.
James previously beat Mark Jackson and then Steve Nash to fourth on the assists list in his first game at Madison Square Garden in three years.
Anthony Davis added 27 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, who had dropped two in a row to open their trip. James and Davis missed their loss Monday in Brooklyn.
Jalen Brunson scored 37 points and Julius Randle had 23 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks, who were 7 for 34 from 3-point range and lost their second consecutive game.
“We score a lot, it’s not our problem,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau. “So we need to strengthen our defenses.”
James was furious after his last game, the Lakers’ overtime loss to Boston on Saturday, after which umpires ruled he missed a foul on his drive to the basket to end regulation.
He was out on Monday with what Ham said was pain in his left foot, though the Lakers cited the injury as an ankle. They called him questionable to play in the morning, then upgraded James to be available after moving well in pre-match practice.
He certainly didn’t want to miss this one after being injured two years ago and suspended last season for punching Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart in the face. His last game here was on January 22, 2000, when he was just days away from passing Kobe Bryant to No. 3 on the goalscorer list.
Now the only one left to catch is Abdul-Jabbar, which could happen in the next 10 days.
The game was tied at 90 before James Troy Brown Jr. gave a 3-pointer with his eighth assist, then set up Thomas Bryant for a dunk that pushed him past Jackson, then Nash moved to fourth with decisive assists. He has 10,338 assists.
James has always called MSG one of his favorite places to play and this visit drew a sold-out crowd, including celebrities such as Michael J. Fox, Michael B. Jordan, Emma Stone and Chris Rock. Fans filled seats in the lower parts of the arena to watch James warm up, but he struggled to give them one of his vintage performances once the game started.
He threw an air ball in the second quarter as part of his 2-for-8 start, but made his last two shots of the half, then threw a pass that Schroder threw from half court to beat the buzzer and bring it back to 53-52. at rest.
Recently acquired Rui Hachimura had 19 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, while Russell Westbrook added 17 points and eight assists, including three in overtime.
ADVICE
Lakers: Patrick Beverley was out with left knee pain. Ham said the keeper has had some tough defensive clashes lately and they just gave him a rest.
Knicks: Sophomore G Quentin Grimes was selected on Tuesday to participate in the Rising Stars at All-Star weekend. … The Knicks missed 13 or their first 15 shots as the Lakers took a 15-5 lead.
THE NEXT
Lakers: Thursday night in Indiana.
Knicks: Host Miami Friday night.
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