The Knicks faced a team led by LeBron James, though LeBron himself did not suit up for this one. Still, the stark contrast of where the Knicks are now vs. where they were once upon a time when Bron mocked them on their home floor was evident, as the Knicks wiped up the shorthanded Lakers, 112-96.

Dec. 7, 1941 was a date that would live in infamy until Dec. 7, 2016 came along. On that night, then-Cavalier LeBron James felt beating the Knicks had become so humdrum he needed new motivation. The great ones always do. Few forms are as embarrassing as flip cup. 

1,587 nights later, LeBron came to Madison Square Garden with the L.A. Lakers, stuck in street clothes alongside Anthony Davis as they recover from injuries. The Knicks have come a long way in nearly four-and-a-half years, especially the past half-year. New York defeated Los Angeles 111-96, for their third win in a row, landing them above .500 for the first time in two weeks. They’ve won 12 of 16 at home. The Knicks probably won’t win the championship this year, but whoever ends their season is going to have to work to earn it. There are still Ls on the horizon, but no flip cups need apply.  

If you don’t have a lot of time for this recap, here are two bite-sized reasons the Knicks were victorious: they dominated the offensive glass, nabbing 15 of their own misses versus the Lakers’ four, and L.A. turned the ball over all. Night. Long. A number of Laker possessions looked more like fumblerooski than NBA basketball. Credit some of that to the Knicks’ defense. Yes, the Lakers are shorthanded, but these same shorthanded Lakers just blew out the Nets by 25. 

L.A. came out hot in the first quarter, but they couldn’t stop hemorrhaging possession. That and Julius Randle hitting his first four shots against his original team kept the Knicks in the game while their defense got un-gunked. As it did, the transition game opened up; on a night where his shooting wasn’t there, Alec Burks devoted himself to social service, setting up his ‘mates for makes.

The Knicks led most of the half until Dennis Schröder put the game on his Atlas-jacked shoulders and keyed an 11-0 Laker run to take the lead. Randle countered with his best scoring half in a while, but with Burks, RJ Barrett and Reggie Bullock all scoreless, someone else would have to step up. Someone did.

After a Markieff Morris corner three put L.A. up 48-44, the Knicks called time; when the action resumed, Elfrid Payton sparked the game’s decisive swing. He scored a 3-point play, got fouled on the break, hit one free throw, missed the second, but Nerlens Noel rebounded it and found Payton for two more. After Laker free throws, Elf hit over Andre Drummond for the and-one opp. He missed, but the Knicks had gone from down up, somewhere Randle would make sure they stayed.

One concern at the entr’acte was the lack of ball movement in New York’s offense; only six of the team’s 21 baskets were assisted. Randle got to work right away sharing the wealth as the Knicks’ top two-man game got going.

Spoiler: the Knicks would score 21 baskets in the second half, too, but they’d assist on twice as many as they had in the first. Nobody had five assists, but seven Knicks had two or more, many of them to Payton, whose 20 were the most he’s scored in five weeks. The Knicks are now 6-1 when Elf scores 20-plus. Bullock also got going early in the third and the Lakers continued to piss away possessions. RJ finally got on the scoreboard, and this gorgeous ball movement ended with a Payton lay-in and a double-digit lead. 

A Randle jumper as the shot clock expired was followed by the Knick defense forcing a 24-second violation and Randle drilling an elbow three. The lead was 15. Lest you think The Strickland is some partisan hack, enjoy this highlight featuring Alex Caruso and Talen Horton-Tucker. We men have petals, too.

The Knicks entered the fourth up 13 and a perfect 14-0 at home this season when leading after three. That mark was never seriously threatened. A 10-0 Laker run pulled them to within five, but Payton put New York back up seven and Randle put Los Angeles to the sword.

All that was left was Frank Ntilikina appearing as the human victory cigar, which he did in the final minute. These teams have played so many memorable games over the years. In my lifetime alone there was the Xavier McDaniel buzzer-beater that wasn’t, Shaq vs. Chris Dudley, Chris Childs two-piecing Kobe Bryant, Allan Houston’s 53 in L.A., Kobe’s 61 at MSG, Linsanity lighting up the Lakers, the Jose Calderon game-winner and Mario Hezonja playing Prometheus to LeBron’s flame. Last night will not go down as a classic. But it pushes the Knicks that much closer to a winning season and a postseason, places they haven’t been since Barrett was 12 years old. That’s nowhere near their ultimate aspiration. But it’s a helluva jaunt from flip cup.

Notes

• Noel and Taj Gibson had a great night, especially with them giving up 50-plus pounds to Drummond. They combined for 14 points, 19 rebounds, five blocks, and six steals. Noel had a couple nice assists to Payton underneath.

• In the third, Noel flew in to contest Drummond when he went into Bullock and knocked him down. The entire Knick team — on the floor and the bench — rushed over to pick Reggie up. It was charming. Even Morris had to laugh at the sight of it.

• The fourth quarter featured a stretch with Elf, Burks, and Immanuel Quickley playing together, a threesome who coming into this game had only shared the court for five minutes all season. What’s it mean? It means Ntilikina’s ass is buried to the bench until one of those three gets hurt or summer free agency hits, whichever comes first.

• Ben McLemore was fouled on a 3-pointer by Bullock. Mike Breen shared all our surprise and dismay when he reacted to the refs saying they were reviewing to see if it was a flagrant. Then they went ahead and called it a flagrant. I’m sure by the letter of some law they were just enforcing a rule — Bullock’s foot was under McLemore when he landed after shooting. But after a strong start to the season, letting the players play and being judicious with the whistle, the quality of officiating in recent weeks feels like it’s dipped.

• The way Breen and Clyde laughed at Mike’s second “Weed World” joke in the past two games indicates indica nights in both men’s pasts and perhaps their futures. 

• Random L.A. sports observation: did you know in Spanish “the Los Angeles Angels” translates as “the the Angels Angels”?

Quoth me: “No flip cups need apply.” The Knicks are no joke. How serious should we take them? We’ll know more after a little two-game road trip to New Orleans Wednesday and Dallas Friday before a six-game homestand. A split would be *chef’s kiss. Bon appétit, boys.