Category: Basketball

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers couldn’t overcome an awful 10-point second quarter as they fell to the Boston Celtics109-98.

Boston is a bad matchup for Cleveland. They can press the Cavs in a lot of the areas they struggle with most on both ends of the floor.

Offensively, they can spread the Cavs’ defense out and force them to guard one-on-one. This isn’t ideal for a team that has struggled with point-of-attack defense all season. And if the backside help comes, the Celtics have capable enough playmakers to find the open man and make them pay with their three-point shooting.

Defensively, they stay out of rotation due to their willingness to switch everything. They trust each player on the court to hold their own in any matchup, and they mostly do. This allows them to limit the amount of disruption an off-ball shooter like Sam Merrill can cause or the effectiveness of the pick-and-roll because they’re okay with giving up mismatches if it means slowing down the offense’s ball movement.

The problems this can cause the Cavs came through, particularly in the second quarter when the game got away from them.

The Cavs lost this game in the second quarter. They mustered just 10 points, went 0-14 from three, and just 4-25 from the field.

“I think that first half man, it was really just about shots,” Donovan Mitchell said.

The Cavs generated good looks in the second quarter that simply didn’t fall. Below is a clip of eight threes that were either quality attempts or, at the very least, open enough that you’re okay with the shot in a vacuum.

“If we get a couple shots to fall, layups, threes, anything…it’s a different ballgame,” James Harden said. “It’s draining when you feel like you’re getting easy looks and they’re not going, but it’s part of the game.”

Missing threes in the second quarter wasn’t an issue for the Cavs; their inability to find other ways to score was.

“Part of basketball is missing and making shots, but our competitive nature, our competitive spirit [needs to be there] for a full game,” Harden said. “That’s what we do. We force the game to be in our hands.”

This is what the Celtics did better, particularly in the second quarter. They also shot poorly, going 1-9 from three in the second, but they found ways to attack the basket and get to the free-throw line.

Boston only scored 21 points in that frame, but their ability to keep their offense on schedule allowed them to create separation. If the Cavs hadn’t abandoned trying to get inside in the second quarter, they might’ve been able to stay in the game until their three-point shot came around.

The same three-point looks that weren’t falling in the first half fell in the second. They went 11-23 (47.8%) from three en route to a 62-point half.

If you look at most of the makes below, you’ll see that the offensive process that led to the attempts wasn’t too different. It’s just that the shots went in this time around.

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“I think we did an unbelievable job in the second half,” Harden said. “We just kept fighting and giving ourselves a chance.”

The Celtics don’t have an answer for Evan Mobley. This is a matchup he’s historically done well in, and did so again on Sunday. He punished mismatches when he got the switch and did a good job of getting into the paint on opposing center Neemias Queta.

While the Cavs don’t have an answer for Boston’s wings, the Celtics also don’t have an answer for Cleveland’s bigs. This was evident even though the Cavs were without Jarrett Allen.

Boston’s role players were the biggest difference in this matchup.

Both teams had good enough games from their stars. The same can’t be said about the supporting cast.

The Celtics’ bench outscored the Cavs’ 41-13. This included standout performances from Payton Pritchard (18 points) and Baylor Scheierman (16 points). Sam Hauser was a starter, but his 15 points were more than any Cavalier outside of Mitchell, Harden, and Mobley.

Conversely, the Cavs received a substandard performance from everyone outside of their stars. Jaylon Tyson provided eight points and didn’t make an impact defensively, Sam Merrill went 1-7 from three, Dennis Schroder registered just two points, and Keon Ellis didn’t score at all.

Even though this game felt one-sided at times, the Cavs aren’t far off.

The Celtics are the standard in the East. They’re the only proven, championship team among the four top teams in the conference. Games like this show why. They understand who they are and what they want to do on both ends. That came through in the stretches where they weren’t getting their shots to fall in the second quarter, and didn’t let it affect how they played. That, in the end, is what won them the game.

The Cavs aren’t on the Celtics’ level right now, but that doesn’t mean they can’t get there.

“In that second half, we found something in ourselves,” Harden said. “That’s the level we got to get to, Boston. Once we’re there, because I know we’re good enough. We will get there, then we’ll be a much better team.

“If we’re making shots, we’re going to blow teams out. And tonight we didn’t make our shots.”

You never know what will happen to anyone sitting courtside during an NBA game.

In fighting for a loose ball, Lakers guard Marcus Smart crashed into longtime television host and political commentator Bill Maher while facing the Knicks in a Sunday afternoon tip-off at the Crypto.com Arena.

Bill Maher (finger) remains courtside after collision with Marcus Smart pic.twitter.com/tNK94PPyR6

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) March 8, 2026

Both Smart and Maher appeared to escape the collision with minor injuries.

Maher showed off his seemingly injured finger to the ESPN broadcast, while Smart was seen favoring his left hand for multiple plays afterward.

At one point, Smart missed an open corner 3-point shot and favored his left hand after.

He did the same when checking out of the game moments later, but Smart did re-enter and eventually finished the contest, avoiding any serious injury.

Maher doesn’t appear to have suffered anything major either.

The Lakers subsequently won the contest, beating a surging Knicks squad 110-97 in one of their all-around best efforts of the season.

It’s only the fourth time this season the Lakers held an opponent under 100 points, and the Knicks are by far the best team L.A. has done this against, with the others being the Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors.

Luka Doncic led the LeBron James-less Lakers with 35 points, eight rebounds and four assists, making five threes in the process.

Smart shot just 1-for-10 and went 0-for-5 from deep, ending the day with just five points, four assists and two steals.

According to Michael Scotto, the Utah Jazz have signed center Mo Bamba to a second 10-day contract.

Bamba fills a need with the injuries to Walker Kessler and Jusuf Nurkic. We’ll see if this amounts to anything but it’s clear that the Jazz are more interested in giving center minutes to Kyle Filipowski. That said, we have seen Bamba get some backup minutes with some mixed results. He has had some nice moments protecting the rim, but there have been a lot of minutes where you don’t feel his presence on the floor. It’s too bad because Bamba’s measurables are off the charts. Knowing those measurables, it’s worth giving Bamba a chance. Can he show something to end the season that could have him stick to the roster? It would be a huge deal if they could help Bamba reach his potential with his measurements. He’s never been able to stick to a roster, but it’s easy to see why he’s so intriguing.

Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much.

The Spurs played an awful game against the Clippers for about 30 minutes of game time on Friday night, letting the Clippers take a 25 point lead, followed by 18 minutes of frantic play where the team showed a level of effort and mental resilience that we Spurs fans haven’t seen for at least a decade in the Alamo City. The last few minutes weren’t beautiful, as both teams made critical mistakes, but the Silver and Black made the critical plays and Wembanyama’s gravity led to Champagnie and Stephon Castle getting key rebounds on free throw misses that iced a thrilling 116-112 victory in the Frost Bank Center.

Tonight the Spurs face the Houston Rockets, who are currently in third place in the west, six games behind the Spurs in the loss column. This is the fourth and final meeting between the two teams, and the Spurs currently own a 2-1 lead, so a win tonight would lock up the tiebreaker, and also give the Spurs a seven game lead over the Rockets with 18 games to play, which could be propitious for a team looking to lock up home court advantage in the playoffs.

The Rockets are a tough opponent, even without Steven Adams who they lost for the season last month. With Kevin Durant will be in the hall of fame, and he’s capable of scoring points in bunches. Reed Sheppard has been doing a great job recently since he’s moved to the starting lineup, with elite shooting and quick hands on defense. Amen Thompson is a tough defender and paint scorer, and Alperen Sengun is a tough inside presence. The Spurs will have to put together a 48 minute game tonight to put this one away early. The Celtics are coming to town on Tuesday night, but the Spurs can’t look past tonight’s game to focus on Jason Tatum and Boston. Let’s look for another great Victor Wembanyama game and for Champagnie and Castle to put the game away early. Let’s GOO SPURS!!

Game Prediction:

Reed Shepard will get switched onto Wembanyama, and Victor will taunt him by dangling the ball over his outstretched hands. Unfortunately, he will have so much fun doing it that he loses track of time and gets called for a 24 second violation.

San Antonio Spurs vs Houston Rockets
March 8, 2026 | 7:00 PM CT
Streaming: Peacock
TV: Peacock, NBC
Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.

The stars came out for a sun-splashed Sunday afternoon in downtown Los Angeles. 

Inside Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers hosted the Knicks in a nationally televised showcase between two of the NBA’s most historic franchises — two cities that see themselves not merely as markets but as cultural capitals. 

It was also the annual gathering of people who live in Los Angeles but arrive wearing their Knicks gear to let everyone know they’re originally from New York City. 

And like any big stage in either New York or Los Angeles, the seats were filled with stars. 

Yes, LeBron James was there. Luka Dončić, too. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns carried the hopes of Manhattan into the afternoon light. But on this particular Sunday, the audience sometimes felt just as headline-worthy as the performers.

If the Knicks and Lakers represent basketball royalty, then the celebrities sitting courtside looked like a Hollywood premiere with a shot clock.

Almost exactly one year ago, when the Lakers beat New York in a 113-109 overtime thriller, the celebrity roll call looked like an Oscars seating chart: Larry David, Timothée Chalamet, Spike Lee, Ben Stiller, Kylie Jenner, Denzel Washington, John McEnroe, Brenda Song, Macaulay Culkin, Jason Sudeikis, Kevin Connolly, Kyler Murray and Rams star Puka Nacua.

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Sunday’s game didn’t have as many big names on the marquee, but it was still star-studded as the Lakers defeated the Knicks soundly, 110-97, without James on the court. It was easily the Lakers’ most impressive win of the season. 

Soaking in the atmosphere with the grin of someone who has seen plenty of big games in this town was actor Martin Lawrence, who sat across from James on the Lakers’ bench. To his right sat Jordan Howlett, the wildly popular internet personality known as “Jordan the Stallion.”

Next to Howlett was Action Bronson — the Queens-born rapper and lifelong Knicks diehard — wearing a Knicks hat just as you’d expect. Across the court from him was Sacha Baron Cohen, who watched with the kind of quiet curiosity that suggests he might be mentally filing the whole thing away for some future satirical masterpiece.

Bill Maher, never one to hide an opinion, leaned back and observed the circus unfolding around him — a political comic sitting comfortably in the middle of Los Angeles’ most apolitical ritual: celebrity watching. He even got a taste of the action up close and personal as Lakers guard Marcus Smart dove for a loose ball and crashed into him and his girlfriend, film-producer Noor Alfallah, who has a child with actor Al Pacino. 

Pacino’s “Godfather III” co-star Andy Garcia, whose Hollywood gravitas feels almost as timeless as the Lakers’ purple and gold, sat a few seats away as well. 

Actor Ben Lambert, decked out in a Knicks jersey and Yankees hat, sat courtside next to rapper Freddie Gibbs.

Rich Paul, one of the most powerful agents in sports and the architect behind LeBron’s business empire, sat courtside as he always does. Comedian and actor Jay Mohr, who is married to Lakers governor Jeanie Buss, chatted with his wife throughout the game. 

Sitting in Jack Nicholson’s legendary courtside seats was his son, “Smile” actor Ray Nicholson. 

Nearby, was Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, who has practically become part of the architecture of Los Angeles sports. His presence at Lakers games now feels as routine as the national anthem.

Former big men from both teams: Patrick Ewing of the Knicks and Dwight Howard of the Lakers sat back and smiled from their courtside seats as well. Two Hall of Fame legends sharing the same building. 

Some of the celebrities sitting courtside this afternoon for Knicks vs. Lakers on ABC:

Ray Nicholson (son of Jack), Flea, Knicks’ owner James Dolan, Rich Paul, Martin Lawrence, Influencer Jordan Howlett (Jordan the Stallion 8), Patrick Ewing, Dwight Howard, Action Bronson, Bill… pic.twitter.com/hHwt7hafoG

— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) March 8, 2026

And then there was James Dolan.

The Knicks billionaire owner sat in attendance as well, a reminder that even the most famous arena in sports — Madison Square Garden — must occasionally take its show on the road.

Because that’s what these games become.

The Knicks versus the Lakers isn’t simply an NBA matchup. It’s a cultural summit meeting between the East Coast’s intellectual swagger and the West Coast’s cinematic glow.

Sunday’s gathering proved something important about basketball in these two cities: The game is never just about the game.

It’s about identity.

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In New York, Knicks fandom is almost tribal — gritty, loud, impatient. Spike Lee pacing the Garden sideline is part of the mythology. In Los Angeles, Lakers fandom is something different. It’s cultural. Sitting courtside isn’t merely about watching basketball; it’s about participating in the entertainment capital’s most glamorous public ritual.

That tension between authenticity and spectacle is exactly what makes Lakers-Knicks such an irresistible television event.

The NBA knows it. Networks know it. Hollywood certainly knows it.

Because when these teams meet, the arena becomes something bigger than sports. It’s about two American cities that believe they sit at the center of the universe.

New York brings the attitude.

Los Angeles brings the spotlight.

And on Sunday afternoon at Crypto.com Arena, the spotlight was bright enough for everyone to share. 

HARRISON, N.J. (AP) — Wiki Carmona scored two goals against his former team after Prince Owusu found the net on a penalty kick and CF Montreal thumped the New York Red Bulls 3-0 on Sunday.

Montreal (1-2-0) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 8th minute on a PK goal by Owusu. Montreal's first goal of the season was set up when Iván Jaime drew a foul on Red Bulls' defender Justin Che.

Carmona scored unassisted in the 44th minute off a free kick to give Montreal a 2-0 lead at halftime.

Carmona stole the ball and capped the scoring with another unassisted goal in the 68th minute. Carmona had six goals in 102 appearances over five seasons with the Red Bulls. He failed to score in 21 starts over 34 appearances last season.

Thomas Gillier finished with five saves for Montreal, earning his first clean sheet in his 11th career start. Gillier allowed eight goals through the first two matches.

Ethan Horton finished with one save for the Red Bulls (2-1-0) in his third MLS start. Horton was coming off his first clean sheet in a 1-0 victory over the New England Revolution.

New York started teenagers Julian Hall (17), Adri Mehmeti (16) and Matthew Dos Santos (17) for a third straight match.

First-year coach Michael Bradley's Red Bulls were trying to open a season with three straight victories for the first time in club history.

Marco Donadel notched his first victory as Montreal's head coach after taking over on an interim basis last season when the club finished 13th and missed the playoffs.

New York outscored Montreal 3-0 in a pair of victories last season.

Up next

New York: At Toronto FC on Saturday.

Montreal: At Orlando City on Saturday in the fourth of six straight road matches to begin the season.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer

Eight minutes into the third quarter, Baylor Scheierman chased down Payton Pritchard’s missed 3-pointer and slapped the rebound back to him. The extra effort led to a feed to a wide-open Sam Hauser, who buried a second-chance three to give the Celtics a 26-point lead and forced a Cavaliers timeout.

That relentless hustle sums up the difference Scheierman makes.

“He’s just another connector,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters, per NBC Sports Boston. “He doesn’t care about starting. He doesn’t care about anything but competing. That doesn’t get rewarded enough — his competing and his care factor. He doesn’t care about anything but competing at the highest level and executing — he takes a ton of pride in that.”

Scheierman’s all-out demeanor was consistent throughout Boston’s 109-98 win over Cleveland at Rocket Arena on Sunday.

In the fourth quarter, with 10 minutes remaining, Jaylen Brown launched a deep three to beat the shot clock. Right under the basket, it was Scheierman who boxed out 6-foot-11 Cavaliers center Evan Mobley and secured the offensive rebound. It didn’t lead to a second-chance look this time, and even though Scheierman didn’t need to chase the ball, he still attacked the glass anyway.

No matter how long it had been since Scheierman last touched the ball, the Celtics could count on him to be in the right place at the right time. He was a pest on defense, disrupting Cleveland’s offense at every opportunity. He delivered an elite offensive performance en route to his fourth career double-double — all of which have come in his last 14 games. To go along with his 10 rebounds, Scheierman also scored 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting.

He knocked down four of six 3-point attempts, including a deep 31-footer to free Pritchard from a double team.

It had been over five weeks since Scheierman last scored at least 16 points and knocked down four 3-pointers, but Boston’s trust in him never wavered. Like everyone else filling a role, it was only a matter of time before he found his next opportunity. In Cleveland, Scheierman stabilized the second-unit offense, delivered key defensive possessions, and outrebounded everyone except starter Neemias Queta, who finished with 11 boards.

Scheierman’s performance wasn’t just a confidence booster — it was a reminder of what he’s capable of.

“Obviously, we’ve got a great team — a lot of great players. Credit to them for finding me when I was open,” Scheierman told Abby Chin, per NBC Sports Boston. “They trust me to make the right play, and I just try to do that every time.”

When it came to protecting the glass and disrupting Cleveland’s offense, Scheierman’s impact was contagious. He played a major role in holding the Cavaliers to 36 first-half points, including just 10 in the second quarter. That marked Boston’s best defensive quarter of the season, as Scheierman and company limited Cleveland to 4-for-25 shooting, including a miserable 0-for-14 from three.

The Celtics used that momentum to build a convincing 56-36 advantage at the half.

“We were just really together defensively as a unit,” Scheierman told Chin. “Everyone was helping each other out. Obviously, they’ve got talented players over there, and they’re tough to stop one-on-one. We don’t play defense one-on-one — we play it as a unit, and I think we did that at a very high level, especially in the second quarter.”

Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, and Evan Mobley combined to shoot just 8-of-23 from beyond the arc against Boston’s defense. The Cavaliers finished 28.9 percent overall, converting only 13 of 45 attempts in one of their ugliest offensive showings this season. Even when they rallied and cut into Boston’s lead, they couldn’t navigate the Celtics’ defense or hit the critical, clutch shots needed to muster up a comeback.

It required playing both ends of the floor to ensure Cleveland’s comeback never materialized. Scheierman’s two-way versatility made him a problem that Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson had to account for. His first basket was an unforeseen left-handed hook over Thomas Bryant to beat the shot clock that has since become a must-see social media clip. He’s more than just a catch-and-shoot threat, and over the season he’s steadily putting teams across the league on notice.

Scheierman’s recent surge might fly under the radar for many, but it hasn’t escaped Mazzulla’s notice one bit.

“When you have a guy that doesn’t miss a beat, regardless of the situation or the circumstances that he’s in, you see stuff like that,” Mazzulla told reporters. “I think he’s doing a great job handling it.”

This was the type of win that has eluded the Lakers for most of the season. 

Controlling.

Decisive.

And just as importantly, it was against one of the NBA’s best teams.

The Lakers’ 110-97 victory over the Knicks on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena wasn’t only significant because of the stage — a nationally televised matchup on ABC between the most popular teams in the league’s biggest markets — but because it put a pause to the concerns whether the Lakers have what it takes to beat the league’s best. 

And on Sunday afternoon, while LeBron James was in street clothes on the bench for the second consecutive game, they put together arguably their best performance of the season against a healthy Knicks team that won 16 of its previous 21 games. 

The shotmaking and playmaking from their stars was present, with Luka Doncic (35 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals) and Austin Reaves (25 points, five assists, four rebounds) combining for 60 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists.

The role players contributed with energy and hustle plays, with Marcus Smart, Jaxson Hayes, Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia leading the way with impactful plays that don’t show up in the box score. 

And the defense was as dialed in as it’s been all season, with the Lakers also benefiting from the Knicks’ poor 3-point shooting.

“We played hard, stuck to the game plan and competed,” Reaves said. “That’s what it came down to. I thought we played harder than them, and we set the tone early and had a really good third quarter.”

What it means

The Lakers’ win over the Knicks put them at 5-12 on the season against teams with .600-or-better records.

They had lost the previous six and 12 of their last 13 matchups against those teams, with the lone win in that stretch being against the Nikola Jokic-less Nuggets on Jan. 20. 

Turning point 

When Hayes and Smart made multiple hustle plays underneath the Lakers’ basket that ended with Smart throwing the ball off Mikal Bridges out of bounds, helping the Lakers maintain possession. 

Doncic hit a step back 2 on the out-of-bounds play, putting the Lakers up 101-86 with 7 ½ minutes left.

“Obviously, he needs to be aggressive like this,” Doncic said of Reaves. “Playing with him is so easy, because he draws so much attention, helps others, too. So, just playing with him, it makes my life easy.”

MVP: Luka Doncic

With the Knicks hanging in, Doncic made a 3-pointer with 1:05 left to put the game out of reach.

Doncic’s shooting numbers weren’t stellar (11 of 25, 5 of 16 on 3s), but he controlled the game.

Stat of the game: 23

That was the combined number of field goal and free-throw attempts Reaves took against the Knicks. 

It was the second most Reaves combined for in the statistical categories since he returned to the floor from a calf injury last month.

Reaves shot 8 of 16 from the field and 6 of 7 on free throws. 

Up next

The Lakers will host the Timberwolves on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena.

They already have won the season series, 2-0, over the Timberwolves after beating Minnesota twice in October. 

the Washington Wizards play the New Orleans Pelicans at 7 PM tonight. Let’s get a win.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Brooklyn Meyer had 26 points to go with nine rebounds and second-seeded South Dakota State claimed another Summit League championship, defeating top-seed North Dakota State 64-51 on Sunday.

The Jackrabbits improved to 13-2 in Summit League title games and will play in the NCAA Tournament for the 14th time, all since 2009.

South Dakota State took the lead for good with a about 3 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. The Jackrabbits built a seven-point lead early in the fourth quarter but a 3-pointer from Molly Lenz got the Bison within 48-44 with seven minutes remaining. However, North Dakota State made only two field goals the rest of the game.

Playing with the lead in the fourth quarter, the Jackrabbits made 14 of 16 free throws with eight of the makes coming in the final minute. SDSU made 21 of 29 free throws for the game, compared to just 5 of 9 for North Dakota State.

Avery Koenen led North Dakota State (28-4) with 12 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists. Lenz also scored 12 and Karrington Asp had 10 points off the bench.

Hadley Thul had 10 points for South Dakota State (27-6).

An 11-3 run over a six-minute stretch of the second quarter helped the Jackrabbits build a 27-18 lead. North Dakota State regrouped and Marisa Frost's buzzer-beating 3-pointer got the Bison within 31-27 at halftime.

After the Bison took what would be their last lead at 36-34 midway through the third quarter, South Dakota State scored the next eight points for a 42-36 lead.

North Dakota State has not appeared in the NCAA Tournament at the Division I level but is a five-time Division II national champion.

Up next

NCAA Tournament decisions are due on Selection Sunday, March 15.

___

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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers point guard Tyrese Maxey will sit out at least the next two games with a sprained finger and the two-time All-Star will have additional tests to determine how long he'll be sidelined, the team announced Sunday.

Maxey sprained his right pinkie in a collision with teammate Adem Bona while going for a loose ball with 16 seconds remaining in the 76ers' 126-116 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night. Maxey immediately grabbed at his right hand and coach Nick Nurse said after the game that Maxey would have X-rays.

The 76ers said Sunday that Maxey will be consulted after the additional tests to determine a treatment plan. The team added that it would have no further update until after the 76ers' next two games: at Cleveland on Monday night and home against Memphis on Tuesday night.

Maxey, who was selected to his second All-Star team this season, led the 76ers with 31 points against the Hawks before injuring his finger. He's Philadelphia's leading scorer with 29 points per game, which ranks him fourth in the NBA, while also averaging 6.7 assists and two steals.

The 76ers (34-29) entered Sunday eighth in the Eastern Conference, 1 1/2 games ahead of the ninth-place Hawks.

—

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

The Lakers have struggled against the NBA's elite teams this season, something that's been a source of consternation for the team.

The opportunity to start shaping another narrative was presented Sunday against one of the league’s top teams in the New York Knicks.

And the Lakers found some redemption, with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves leading them to a 110-97 win at Crypto.com Arena.

Doncic had 35 points and eight rebounds. Though he was 11 for 25 from the field and five for 16 from three-point range, his three with 1:05 left sealed the win for the Lakers (39-25).

Read more:Luka Doncic joins elite Lakers company with 44-point effort in win over Pacers

Reaves had 25 points, five assists and four rebounds. He was eight for 16 from the field and three for six from three-point range.

Rui Hachimura (13 points, seven rebounds) and Luke Kennard (12 points) helped make sure the Lakers didn’t blow a 23-point lead against a New York team that is third in the Eastern Conference.

Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 25 points and 16 rebounds, and Jalen Brunson had 24 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the Knicks (41-24).

The Lakers entered the game with a 4-12 record against teams with a winning percentage over .600. Many of their losses to top teams have been by double digits, which has become a significant reason for concern with the playoffs fast approaching.

It wasn’t going to be easy against a Knicks team that’s one of the NBA's best on the defensive end. They entered Sunday ranked fifth in points allowed (110.6) and seventh in both field-goal percentage (45.7) and defensive rating (111.7).

When the Lakers extended their lead to 21 points in the third quarter, they did so, in part, by playing stingy defense. They held the Knicks to 24 points in the third, with 35% shooting from the field and 18% shooting from three-point range.

The Lakers also scored 34 points in the quarter, shot 55% from the field and 50% (five for 10) from three-point range.

The Lakers played without LeBron James, who missed his second straight game because of a left elbow contusion and left foot arthritis. James sustained his elbow injury after falling to the court in the fourth quarter of a loss to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday.

But Lakers center Deandre Ayton, who missed Friday's win over Pacers with left knee soreness, returned.

It has been an up-and-down season for Ayton, but Lakers coach JJ Redick said he is confident the 7-foot center can be more consistent moving forward.

Ayton showed flashes of his talent against the Knicks by being more engaged. He was active on defense from the start, blocking a shot in the first quarter. He set a hard screen to get Doncic open and then rolled to the basket and took a lob pass from Doncic for a two-handed dunk in the first quarter.

Read more:Luka Doncic is one technical foul away from an automatic suspension

Ayton finished with six points and eight rebounds.

“Ultimately, the player has to be consistent," Redick said. "And that's not to say that's a knock on DA. That's just the NBA. We've been very consistent with how we've coached him. And we recognized early that was, maybe not a change, but that was something we had to be adaptable with. And I think we're hopeful and optimistic that we're gonna get a consistent version down the stretch of the season."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.