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Jalen Brunson brought the Knicks back. With a chance to win the game, the ball was taken out of his hands. And with that, so was the Knicks’ chance to beat LeBron James.
Coach Tom Thibodeau opted for a Julius Randle isolation in the final seconds of regulation, and he didn’t even get a shot off. In overtime, James and the Lakers took over, and handed the Knicks their sixth loss in eight games, 129-123, at a sold-out Garden.
In James’ first game at the Garden in three years, he didn’t disappoint after a slow start. The self-described King produced the 106th regular-season triple-double of his career, notching 28 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, and moved into fourth place on the all-time assists list, passing Mark Jackson and Steve Nash.
Brunson was brilliant, notching 37 points on 13 of 29 shooting, while the other two Knicks’ leading scorers, Randle and RJ Barrett, shot a combined 11 of 32 from the field. Barrett was taken out with 6:51 left in the fourth quarter and didn’t return. Immanuel Quickley received his minutes down the stretch, and scored 19 points along with eight assists.
