With the return of LeBron James, the Lakers (26-28) dug deep and completed their biggest comeback of the season, in a 122-115 victory over the visiting New York Knicks.
It looked bleak early on as the Lakers trailed 42-29 at the end of the first quarter. The Knicks were hitting on all cylinders and looked like they were on their way to an easy victory on a national broadcast.
Despite the odds, the Purple and Gold were able to find a rhythm and utilized a 31-13 third quarter to, not only get back into the game, but grab a lead for the first time all evening.
A back-and-forth final frame gave the audience free basketball after Knicks guard RJ Barrett knocked down a three-pointer to send the contest into overtime.
From there, the Lake Show dominated the overtime period and came away with the seven-point win. The hard work they put in did not go to waste.
LeBron James had missed the last five games due to swelling in his knee, but based on his performance tonight, you wouldn’t have guessed he had such an issue. LBJ finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, and a steal for his fourth triple-double of this season (first since Dec. 28 against Houston).
Anthony Davis and Malik Monk were the other major factors in the come from behind victory. Davis finished with 28 points, 17 rebounds, four blocks, three assists and three steals in a game high 41 minutes, good for his third double-double in his last four games.
Monk turned his game on in third and outscored the entire Knicks squad by himself, 18-13, in the entire quarter. He ended the night with 29 points and two assists. The trio finished a combined 37-of-63 (58.7%) from the field.
With the overtime win, the Lakers improved to 6-1 in extra time, marking the most wins and most games played in OT by any team in the league.
Over the last 42-straight games, the Knicks had won every single time when holding a lead of 20 or more points.
Until tonight.
L.A. will continue to play in front of a national audience, when the take on the defending champion, Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday on TNT.