Knicks fall to Lakers as OG Anunoby leaves with right foot sprain

There are games. And then there are games.

Ones that are hot tickets. Ones that are appointment viewing. Ones that are can’t miss. Ones in which the building is standing-room-only.

What transpired over the course of 2 1⁄2 hours Saturday night at the Garden was one of those games.

Or at least it was supposed to be.

The Knicks’ 128-112 loss to LeBron James and the Lakers on Saturday night was overshadowed by the loss of OG Anunoby to what the team called a “right foot sprain” 1:12 into the third quarter.

With the Knicks trailing 62-57, Anunoby spotted up for a three-point attempt in front of the Lakers’ bench and dropped to the court without having been touched.

He stayed on the court and grabbed at his lower calf for a moment before being helped to his feet by LeBron James and Karl-Anthony Towns. He walked off the court and did not return as the 19,000-plus in attendance watched in silence.

Before leaving, Anunoby scored 13 points and shot 5-for-7 in 17 minutes.

Anunoby’s injury cast a pall on what had been a highly anticipated nationally televised prime-time showcase. The Knicks had won five in a row and James was visiting for the 33rd time in his career.

He entered the game having averaged 28.0 points, 7.4 assists, and 6.9 assists in his previous 32 games at the Garden.

James, 40, had another memorable game, finishing with 33 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds, highlighted by a two-handed baseline dunk on Mikal Bridges in the fourth quarter that extended the Lakers’ lead to 111-102.

James, who is 24-9 at the Garden, has scored at least 15 points in his last 30 games here.

He was not a one-man show. The Lakers (28-19) had five players score in double figures and shot 58% from the field.

Austin Reaves had 27, Rui Hachimura scored 21 and former Net Dorian Finney-Smith and Max Christie had 15 each.

The Knicks missed 18 of 28 three-point attempts and committed 14 turnovers.

Josh Hart recorded his seventh triple-double of the season and the 13th of his Knicks career with 26 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. His running half-court three-pointer at the end of the third quarter cut the Lakers’ lead to 91-89. But the Lakers outscored the Knicks 37-23 in the fourth.

Jalen Brunson scored 17 points, shooting 7-for-18, and Karl-Anthony Towns was held to 11 and 3-for-9 shooting.

Bridges scored 16 points and reserves Deuce McBride and Precious Achiuwa contributed 16 and 15, respectively.

Notes & quotes: During his pregame availability Saturday night, Thibodeau said Mitchell Robinson is “pretty close” to receiving “clearance for regular contact.” Robinson has not played this season after undergoing ankle surgery. “Everything has gone very smoothly in terms of the rehab,” Thibodeau said. “The controlled contact, you know what’s coming, so you can brace yourself for it. Once you get out of that, where you’re just playing and reacting, that’ll be the next step.”