The New York Knicks defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 112-100, and champion OKC defeated the Denver Nuggets 121-111.
The New York Knicks defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 112-100, spoiling what could have been LeBron James’ final game at Madison Square Garden and extending their winning streak to six games.
On Sunday night, OG Anunoby scored 25 points and reserve Landry Shamet added 23 points to lead the Knicks to victory.
Recommended stories
list of two itemsend of list
James, the 41-year-old Lakers star and four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, has not committed beyond this season, an NBA record 23rd, but said playing at the Garden means “everything” to him.
“This is the basketball mecca of New York. It’s the Big Apple. Being at MSG, so many people have walked this court, basketball, entertainment, actors, musicians, everything. It’s a wide range of America, the nation, that has graced this floor,” James said.
“I hope I’m like a little piece of someone who came through here and was able to make a little bit of an impact from a visitor standpoint. It’s always cool here. I always love these fans.”
Ms James did not say this was a farewell to her garden, but said: “When the time comes, it will always have a special place in it.”
Josh Hart scored 20 points for the Knicks, and All-Star guard Jalen Brunson had 12 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.
“We’ve just been playing together,” Brunson said of the winning streak. “To come together, that’s the most important part, to support each other and hold each other accountable.
“We have to keep doing it. We can’t be complacent. It’s a collective effort.”
The Knicks finished second in the Eastern Conference behind Detroit with a record of 31 wins and 18 losses.
The Lakers lost 29-19 despite Luka Doncic scoring 30 points and James scoring 22 points. James was selected by NBA coaches to play in his 22nd NBA All-Star Game as a reserve, the most in history.
“I feel very humbled,” James said. “I give a lot of credit to my coaches. It means a lot to be able to play this late in your career and still be an All-Star.”
It was the first loss of the season for the Lakers, who led at halftime.
Spurs win OKC
Reigning champion Oklahoma City defeated Denver 121-111, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 34 points and adding 13 assists, and Kayson Wallace hitting seven 3-pointers for a career-high 27 points.
“We knew if we wanted to get a W, we needed to bring it to this building,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
French star Victor Wembaneyama had 25 points, eight rebounds, five blocked shots, four steals and two assists to spark San Antonio’s 112-103 victory over Orlando at home.
The game was postponed to an evening contest as the Spurs (33-16) struggled to escape from snowstorm-ravaged Charlotte.
Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen scored 40 points and grabbed 17 rebounds as the Cavaliers defeated Portland 130-111.
Detroit had the most lopsided victory in team history in a 130-77 game over visiting Brooklyn, with Jaylen Duren scoring 21 points and Cade Cunningham scoring 18 points and dishing out 12 assists.
Swedish guards Pere Larsson and Bam Adebayo each scored 20 points as host Miami defeated Chicago 134-91, the third-biggest loss in Heat history.
Jaylen Brown had 30 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Boston Celtics to a 107-79 victory over Milwaukee.
RJ Barrett scored 21 points and Brandon Ingram added 19 points for Toronto, which beat Utah 107-100 at home. Finland’s Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with 27 points.
Washington rookie Will Riley scored 18 points off the bench to lead the Wizards to a 116-112 lead over Sacramento, extending the Kings’ losing streak to six games.
Kawhi Leonard scored 20 points, Ivica Zubac had 14 points and 20 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Clippers won 117-93 against Phoenix.
