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Luka Doncic Names Unexpected Lakers Hero vs. Knicks

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rex Villas | Last updated Mar 7, 2025 5:09 AM ET

Most eyes are always going to be on LeBron James and Luka Doncic whenever the Los Angeles Lakers take the floor. Such was the case again on Thursday night when the Lakers played host to the New York Knicks at Crypto.com Arena.

Doncic and James delivered the goods for LA, scoring 32 and 31 points, respectively, in a 113-109 victory. But in the eyes of the Slovenian superstar, his and James' big performances would have gone to waste if not for the timely hits in the fourth quarter by backup point guard Gabe Vincent.

“Gabe [Vincent] won us the game,” Doncic said following the contest, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

In fact, Vincent led the Lakers in scoring in the fourth quarter with nine points in the frame as the Lakers were staging a comeback attempt.

The 28-year-old Vincent splashed in all three of his attempts from behind the arc in the fourth period. The first one trimmed the Knicks' lead down to five points and the second cut LA's deficit to only a point before the third trey put the Lakers ahead with 1:21 remaining in regulation.

The Knicks were still able to force overtime, but the surprise production by Vincent off the bench gave the Lakers a big shot in the arm when they needed it the most.

Overall, Vincent, who was signed by the Lakers to a three-year deal worth $33 million last summer, finished the Knicks game with 12 points on 4-for-5 shooting from the floor and 4-for-4 from deep.

Vincent’s performance showed that there’s more to the Lakers than just James and Doncic, who will need all the help they can get, especially in the playoffs.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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