Knicks reel off 6th straight win, beat Lakers in what might be LeBron James' final game at Madison Square Garden

LeBron James will walk away with a loss from what could be his final NBA game at Madison Square Garden.

Buoyed by an 18-point first half from Luka Dončić, the Los Angeles Lakers opened up a 56-52 halftime lead over the host New York Knicks on Sunday night. But a 13-5 Knicks run to close the third quarter turned a tie game into a 90-82 lead that New York never relinquished en route to a 112-100 win.

Knicks bounce back from January swoon

The Knicks rode an 18-of-42 (43%) night from 3 and a balanced offensive effort in which six players scored in double figures and three players scored 20-plus to secure the win. The victory was New York’s sixth straight following a 2-9 stretch that raised alarms in New York and reportedly prompted a players-only meeting spearheaded by team captain Jalen Brunson.

The Knicks are now 31-18 and in a second-place tie in the East with the Boston Celtics, behind the first-place Detroit Pistons. And the noise surrounding their January swoon has dissipated.

The win for the Knicks spoiled what might have been James’ final game in one of basketball’s most iconic arenas. If so, James put up a strong effort with 22 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. He posted one of the highlights of his season with an alley-oop dunk in traffic to extend a Lakers lead early in the third quarter.

But it wasn’t enough to fend off a Knicks team that’s returned to form from an 11-game slump.

Will James play another game at MSG?

James, 41, hasn’t announced whether he’ll retire at the conclusion of this season. But there’s speculation that this might be his last. If so, he’s in the midst of an Eastern Conference swing that could represent his final game in opposing arenas.

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He wiped away tears last week amidst a standing ovation and tribute video in Cleveland from a Cavaliers team with which he played 11 combined seasons and led to its first and only NBA championship in 2016.

There was no such tribute from the longtime rival Knicks on Sunday.

But the sense that this could be James’ final moment on one of basketball’s biggest stages was unavoidable. The game was scheduled for one of the biggest time slots of the regular season as NBC reclaimed its longtime Sunday territory for the first time since returning to NBA coverage this season. And tickets were in high demand for James’ potential final game at MSG.

LeBron James may have played his final game at Madison Square Garden.

(Ishika Samant via Getty Images)Balanced Knicks effort tops big games from Luka, LeBron

If so, Knicks fans got their money’s worth. They got a good show from James, but a better one from their Knicks in a victory. OG Anunoby (25 points, 8 rebounds), Josh Hart (20 points, 4 rebounds) and Landry Shamet (23 points, 6 of 10 from 3) each scored 20 points or more.

All-Star Jalen Brunson made up for a cold shooting night (4 of 15) with one of his best nights of the season as a distributor while tallying 12 points and 13 assists. Karl-Anthony Towns, who learned before tip that he’s also an All-Star, likewise found other ways to contribute on an off scoring night with 11 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals.

Dončić led the Lakers with 30 points, 15 rebounds and 8 assists while shooting 5 of 14 from 3. But he was the only Laker to hit more than 2 3s on a night when they shot 12 of 42 (29%), failing to keep up with New York’s hot shooting.

The Knicks also controlled the boards with a 47-36 rebounding advantage. New York will visit the Washington Wizards on Tuesday before returning home for another high-profile Western Conference matchup against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday.

The Lakers will conclude an eight-game road swing with a Tuesday game against the Brooklyn Nets before returning home to host the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.