Luka Donic revealed the key player to the Los Angeles Lakers' thrilling 113-109 win over the New York Knicks. The clash between the two NBA heavyweights was electric, ending in an overtime classic. The Lakers gained the edge after regulation time, partly due to an injury to star point guard Jalen Brunson. Nevertheless, Los Angeles led Doncic and LeBron James to another clutch win, moving to 40-21 overall, which is currently No. 2 in the Western Conference. The Lakers' two superstars were not the only ones who were critical down the stretch on Thursday night.
In a postgame interview with Spectrum SportsNet, Luka gave a shoutout to underheralded guard Gabe Vincent for his contributions on the evening. The scrappy veteran chipped in with twelve points, all of which came on critical three-point field goals.
“I think Gabe won us the game with those 3 3s in the 4th quarter. That's how we got the energy up.”
LeBron additionally broke down the importance of Vincent and the rest of the bench in this franchise's climb back into title contention.
“There’s no such thing as non-key players on this team. Everybody is key. Everybody who steps on the floor has a role. And they go in and master that, and I thought our bench gave us a great lift once again. And, to single him out, Gabe was specular, his play both on the defensive end and obviously his shooting which we needed especially when we were not making any outside shots.”
The Lakers' supporting cast has been critical since their blockbuster trade
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Los Angeles Lakers guard Gabe Vincent (7) shoots against New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena.
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
It may not look like a flashy roster outside of James and Doncic, but the Lakers' supporting cast has been very underrated over these past few weeks. This team was expected to take a significant dip defensively after trading superstar power forward Anthony Davis in the blockbuster deal. Los Angeles had been a subpar defensive squad up until then and AD is one of the best defensive players of this generation.
Shockingly, head coach JJ Redick's team has had one of the best defensive ratings in the league since this trade. Thursday night was no different as New York could only muster up 109 in a game that went to overtime. The Knicks entered this contest with one of the most explosive offenses in the NBA. Gabe Vincent has been a big part of this overachieving unit. While the point guard is still gaining his rhythm in LA, his feisty defense and clutch three-point field goals have and will continue to be essential for this team going forward.
Overall, the Lakers are again a legit title contender. And this group is not even whole right now, with Rui Hachimura out with a knee injury. After years of questioning this group's ceiling, Lakers fans are as optimistic as they've been since the franchise's last championship in 2020. It's been a surreal ride for an organization that remains relevant despite its past mistakes.