The Los Angeles Lakers came up big in overtime with a win over the New York Knicks.
The LA Lakers winning run continued with a 113-109 home win over the Knicks, ahead of a tough upcoming road trip.
Luka Doncic led the team with 32 points and LeBron James closely followed with 31, with the Lakers moving to 40-21 for the season, now the top two seed in the Western Conference.
And while the contribution of the star duo propelled the win, it was the bench that helped make the difference in a real team effort.
Lakers legend James Worthy believes the difference between this team and the iterations of the recent past is the depth from the bench.
Gabe Vincent stepped up with big three-point plays, contributing 12 points, while the defensive effort from free agent pick-up Trey Jemison continues to impress.
Worthy likes depth and versatility the Lakers have to be able to grind out wins.
He told the team’s post-game show on Spectrum: “In the past, we didn’t have that kind of production from our bench.
“You have guys like, Gabe Vincent, who we know can play, not afraid of the moment, comes in really saved us in the overtime hitting big shots.
“Tip outs from from [Dorian Finney] Smith, extra possessions. It’s good that our bench is in tune with our starters and give them what they have, what they need when they come to the game.
“[Trey] Jemison, coming into the game, just hustling and using his physical body, he got one little put back jump, made a big difference in the game. The bench production is solid.”
Trey Jemison has a perfect record on the Lakers, winning every single game he has come into, and he is enjoying his role, even recently earning praise from Luka Doncic too.
Worthy could not neglect another big performance from Luka Doncic, who ended the night 32-7-12, and felt he was especially impactful down the stretch.
He said: “He never gives up. Man, that overtime heater, he just hit some big shots, some big, tough shots over Towns. They tried to put size on him.
“He also continued to get into the paint and distribute from there It was a it was a grind, but his ability to be in the moment, most guys, not having a good shooting night, they might try to pass or get to the free throw line, or get a layup.
“Not this guy, he’s relentlessly, looking for the big moments, and that overtime he started something.”
Doncic is proving his effectiveness on the Lakers, making the Dallas Mavericks look increasingly foolish for trading him away. He is now averaging 23.8 for the team, a number that seems to increase with every game.
