The Los Angeles Lakers secured a hard-fought 113-109 overtime victory against the New York Knicks on Thursday night, led by their superstar duo of LeBron James and Luka Doncic. However, Doncic had a different perspective on who deserved the most credit— and it wasn’t him or James.
In a postgame interview with Spectrum SportsNet, Doncic gave a special shoutout to guard Gabe Vincent for his clutch contributions down the stretch. The veteran guard provided a crucial spark, scoring all 12 of his points on timely three-pointers in the fourth quarter.
“I think Gabe won us the game with those three 3s in the fourth quarter,” Doncic said. “That’s how we got the energy up.” With the win, the Lakers improved to 40-21, holding the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. While James and Doncic delivered big performances, it was the team’s depth that helped seal the victory.
LeBron James praises the bench’s impact
James also emphasized the importance of Vincent and the Lakers’ supporting cast in their push toward title contention. The four-time champion made it clear that success won’t just come from him and Doncic— it will require contributions from everyone.
Gabe Vincent #7 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to his basket against the New York Knicks
“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,” James said. “Our bench gave us a great lift once again, and to single him out, Gabe was spectacular— his play on the defensive end and, obviously, his shooting, which we needed, especially when we weren’t making outside shots.”
James finished the night with 31 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists, while Doncic added 32 points, seven rebounds, 12 assists, and four steals— further proving the duo’s dominance as they continue to gel.
Austin Reaves on Doncic’s killer mentality
Lakers guard Austin Reaves also praised Doncic for his relentless mindset, crediting the Slovenian star for pushing the team to elevate their play.
“The one thing everyone knows about Luka is that he’s a killer. At the end of the day, he wants to win,” Reaves said. “I’ve watched him for a long time in this league, and I was really excited about teaming up with him because, at all costs, he wants to go out there and win.”
Reaves added that Doncic’s presence makes life easier for his teammates and that the NBA team is only scratching the surface of what they can become. “When you put a guy like that on your team— everybody knows how skilled he is— he makes the game easier for everyone else. He’s fit in perfectly, and I can’t wait to grow with him, put it all together, and see what that looks like.”
