LeBron returns from injury, his triple-double sparks Lakers past Knicks

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James returned from a five-game absence due to injury and had a triple-double of 29 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied from a 21-point, second-quarter deficit, beating the New York Knicks 122-115 in overtime Saturday night.

James missed the games due to swelling in his left knee, but Lakers coach Frank Vogel said prior to the game that James wanted to be part of “a big game against the Knicks on ABC.”

James was 13 of 24 from the field in 40 minutes. The Lakers led the entire five-minute overtime after James drove the length of the floor and dunked after RJ Barrett turned it over.

James posted his fourth triple-double of the season and tied a season high in rebounds.

Malik Monk scored 29 points and Anthony Davis added 28 points and 17 rebounds for the Lakers, who had dropped four of five coming in.

Barrett scored a career-high 36 points, and Julius Randle had 32 points and 16 rebounds for New York. The Knicks have lost eight of their last 10 games.

Los Angeles trailed 71-56 at halftime before rallying in the third quarter, outscoring the Knicks 31-13. The Lakers were down 75-61 less than 2 1/2 minutes into the quarter before going on a 21-6 run over a nearly six-minute span to take the lead.

Monk had 10 points during the run, including a pair of 3-pointers, and Davis scored four, including a driving layup with 3:50 remaining to give the Lakers an 82-80 lead. Los Angeles took an 87-84 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Lakers extended extend their lead to 108-99 with 2:22 remaining, before the Knicks went on a 13-3 run and forced overtime. Barrett fueled the run with seven points, including a 3-pointer with 8.7 seconds remaining that tied the score at 111-all. James