Sometimes, it’s appropriate to simply tip a cap and move forward. That’s precisely how the New York Knicks should feel following Sunday’s 110-97 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers out on the West Coast.
A Luka Doncic 3-pointer early in the third quarter symbolized that sentiment perfectly. Despite OG Anunoby‘s brilliant perimeter defense — for which he understood the shot-clock situation, remained inside of the dribbler’s hips, and closed out with the same-side hand — Doncic still drilled the absurd shot.
All Anunoby could do was chuckle a bit as he made his way to the offensive side of the floor.
The Lakers led this one wire-to-wire despite missing LeBron James (out via injury). The previously mentioned Doncic led the way all afternoon, knocking down one contested shot after another, no matter the quality of the Knicks’ on-ball defense.
Doncic finished with a game-high 35 points to go along with 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals (6 turnovers). Although he shot just 11 of 25 from the field and 5 of 16 from downtown, Doncic’s ability to create just enough space in situations where his team needed to have a bucket was uncanny.
Los Angeles shot 43% from the field (35 for 81), nearly identical to the Knicks (35 for 82). New York even out-rebounded the Lakers by a 47-42 margin, despite a second-half stretch where the home team strung together several tough offensive boards.
The difference in the game lay in team energy and 3-point shooting.
After their impressive win over the Nuggets in Denver a couple of nights ago, Mike Brown’s team came out flat. Plus, shooting just 8 of 34 from beyond the arc won’t get it done against an opponent connecting on 15 of 44.
The captain, Jalen Brunson, put forth a rough one. He finished with 24 points on an efficient-enough 8 of 19 from the floor. Turning the ball over 7 times (to go against 7 assists) hurt his squad in a big way.
The Knicks turned the ball over 18 times. Yet, despite Los Angeles going cold midway through the fourth quarter, missing over 10-straight from the field, New York could not capitalize.
Brunson’s most frustrating moment happened later in the fourth quarter when he was stripped on a couple of drives to the hole. Although Brunson argued for a foul, neither take was whistled.
Karl-Anthony Towns collected a team-high 25 points and a game-high 16 boards. Anunoby added 13, and Landry Shamet chipped in with 10 points (2-6 from three).
Mikal Bridges finished with a goose egg in the points column. He missed all six field goal attempts (four of which were of the 3-point variety) while contributing with six rebounds, five assists, a steal, and a block.
For the Lakers, Austin Reaves played an impressive supporting role alongside Doncic. Reaves poured in 25 points on a .500 shooting clip (8 of 16) while also energizing his squad by flying around the court.
The New York Knicks fall to 41-24 on the season, placing them 2.5 games behind the second-place Boston Celtics and 2.5 games ahead of the fourth-place Cleveland Cavaliers. Next up on the West Coast trip is a quick turnaround: the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.
