The Los Angeles Lakers were able to quiet down the Knicks on Sunday.
The Los Angeles Lakers were able to slow down the surging New York Knicks in a 110-97 win on Sunday.
The Knicks had come into Crypto.com Arena having won four of their last five games and were fresh off a 39-point victory over the Denver Nuggets, but the Lakers would not become another number in their win column. Here is how Los Angeles was able to win:
Overcoming the Loss of LeBron
The Lakers were without LeBron James on Sunday as the 41-year-old was dealing with a left elbow contusion and left foot arthritis. Meanwhile, the Knicks had all their core players.
However, the Lakers were able to find a way to win comfortably, largely because of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves combining for 60 points. Doncic did not shoot efficiently (11-25 FG, 5-16 3PT) and had six turnovers but still logged a game-high 35 points.
Reaves was more efficient in his effort as he shot 50% across the board (8-16 FG, 3-6 3PT) for 25 points. He also had three steals and a block.
Other double figure scorers included Rui Hachimura (13 points) and Luke Kennard (12 points), which provided additional help, especially as Marcus Smart had a brutal day on offense — shooting just 1-10 from the field and 0-5 from the perimeter for five points.
Limiting the Knicks
While overcoming the absence of James on the offensive end, the Lakers were able to hold New York’s offense in check. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns led the way with 25 points and 24 points, respectively, but Los Angeles was able to force the Knicks into 18 turnovers, 17 of which came from Brunson after he logged 15 assists in the previous two games.
Moreover, the Knicks did not get the same level of play from other key contributors. After coming off his highest scoring game of the season, forward OG Anunoby was held to 13 points on 11 shot attempts. Additionally, the Lakers kept Mikal Bridges from scoring a point.
Overall, the Lakers managed to hold the Knicks to 42.7% shooting from the field and 23.5% from 3-point range.
Finding a Way
If someone were to just look at the team comparison, they might think that Knicks were the victors in this contest.
That is because New York outpaced Los Angeles in most categories. The Knicks had more rebounds (54-46) and assists (23-20). They also outscored the Lakers in paint points (46-32) and fast break points (16-8) but the latter was still able to achieve a double-digit win.
The Lakers will host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday as their five-game home stand continues.