LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers visited the Madison Square Garden on Saturday and managed a win against one of the Eastern Conference’s top teams, the New York Knicks. Behind 20-point outings from James and Austin Reaves, the Lakers carved out a 113-105 victory that marks their second straight win and gives the team a record above .500 (26-25).
Knicks fans who witnessed their team’s loss in the Madison Square Garden were already dismayed. Now, their emotions might be running high again due to James’ recent Instagram story. Reposting a picture of himself bringing the ball down on the Knicks’ mid-court logo, James captioned the story with four words that could lead to multiple interpretations:
“My absolute favorite playground”
LeBron James Instagram Story, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers
While this could be seen as a nod to the Big Apple and its basketball-crazy fans, calling the Madison Square Garden one’s playground might not sit well for certain New Yorkers who just witnessed their team get beaten by the one making the statement.
LeBron James leads the Lakers to continue winning momentum
Whatever the case, James’ performance on Saturday indeed showed that he loves playing in one of the East Coast’s most well-known cities. Finishing with 24 points, five rebounds and five assists, the four-time MVP led the team in scoring. Reaves followed with 22 points of his own.
The Lakers’ aforementioned two-game win streak comes at the expense of two Eastern Conference giants. Prior to their victory over the Knicks, Los Angeles bested their longtime rivals, the Boston Celtics, this past Thursday. Sitting in ninth place in the West, the Lakers look to continue their winning momentum as they face the Charlotte Hornets on Monday.