Lakers Take on the Knicks in the Big Apple
Your Los Angeles Lakers are in NYC tonight to face the New York Knicks. This is a marquee matchup of two of the NBA’s most iconic franchises and the seventh game of LA’s eight-game road trip.
They’ve gone 4-2 so far, improving their away record to 17-10 on the season. The Knicks are hot right now, having won five straight, four of them by double digits.
Return of ar-15
One positive note for the Lakers is the upcoming return of Austin Reaves. He was upgraded to questionable on Friday before their lopsided win against the Wizards, and is listed as questionable again tonight. Reaves has been out since Christmas, when he went down with a calf injury.
Reaves has shot 50.7% from the field and averaged 26.6 pts, 6.3 ast, and 5.2 reb during the 2025-2026 campaign. Getting him back into the lineup will give the team an instant boost on the offensive end and relieve some pressure off of Luka and LeBron’s scoring efforts.
If he does return tonight, the Lakers will need immediate output from him against the Knicks’ top-ten defense.
Editor’s Note: Austin Reaves has now been downgraded to OUT for tonight’s game.
Lebron’s last msg ride?
Although this is now Luka Doncic’s team, all eyes will be on LeBron James tonight in New York. With fans expecting it to possibly be James’s last game in Madison Square Garden, tickets for tonight’s matchup have been purchased for an average of $912, according to TickPick. This would make it the most expensive game in the NBA since Kobe Bryant’s final game in 2016.
LeBron continues to defy Father Time, having a stellar season, averaging 21.9 pts, 6.6 ast, and 5.8 reb. While it appears he could continue playing another 20 seasons, there have been hints that this could very well be his final season in the NBA.
With Madison Square Garden being arguably basketball’s most iconic arena, fans don’t want to miss the chance to see the all-time scoring leader suit up one last time in New York City.
Keys to the game
New York has a plethora of players with the ability to score. The Lakers won’t be able to key in on just one Knick. They must play efficient team defense and rebound the ball. New York is third in the NBA with 13.6 offensive rebounds per game, led by Mitchell Robinson, averaging 4.9 offensive boards. It will be up to Ayton and Hayes to step up and limit this key stat.
On offense, Doncic and James must stay aggressive and attack the Knicks’ weak points on defense. However, the Lakers’ bench scoring will likely be the deciding factor in the game’s outcome. While the bench has struggled to score consistently, Rui Hachimura’s recent insertion has breathed life into the second unit.
Final thoughts
The Knicks are 5.5-point favorites at home, with the over/under being set at 228.5.
The Lakers will wear their purple Statement Edition jerseys, and the Knicks will wear their cream City Edition jerseys.
Tip-off is set for 4:00 PT at Madison Square Garden.
