LOS ANGELES — LeBron James' and Luka Doncic's 30-point double-doubles might have jumped off the box score after the Los Angeles Lakers' 113-109 overtime win over the New York Knicks on Thursday, but L.A.'s stars said the victory belonged to their supporting cast.
«I think Gabe [Vincent] won the game with those three 3s in the fourth quarter,» Doncic said of the team's backup point guard.
The Lakers trailed by as many as 10 in the fourth quarter — only the second time during their eight-game winning streak they were down double-digits to an opponent — when Vincent caught fire.
Vincent, who missed nearly all of last season with a knee injury, hit his first 3 of the fourth to cut the Knicks' lead to five with 5:59 remaining. His next 3, with 2:55 left, cut L.A.'s deficit to one. His third, with 1:21 to go, gave the Lakers a 99-96 advantage, the first time they were up since the second quarter.
«It's part of why I'm here,» Vincent said. «Part of why I'm here is what I've done at those moments late in the season. So just try and take the experience I've had and built and just try to continue to keep up with winning games.»
The Lakers signed Vincent to a three-year contract in the summer of 2023 when he was coming off an NBA Finals run with the Miami Heat. While injuries derailed the start to his Laker tenure, he's been a valuable performer to the Lakers' turnaround this season on the defensive end — ranking No. 1 in defensive efficiency in the league since Jan. 30.
Doncic finished with 32 points, 12 assists, 7 rebounds and 4 steals and scored L.A.'s first five points in overtime. James had 31 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists and played 44 of 53 minutes at 40 years old.
But it was Vincent's 12 points, rookie Dalton Knecht's 11
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