Victory 106-100 against the Lakers without LeBron with Fournier, Randle and Quickley in front. The Lakers add 25 points but lose 8-9 despite Westbrook’s great game. Knicks and Lakers were capable of the best and the worst throughout the game. Overwhelming local start. They came to hold Thibodeau’s 25 lead in the second quarter. Brutal comeback for the Lakers. Captained by a huge Russell Westbrook. To get to equalize the score in the third. But in the end, the locals prevailed. With a great Immanuel Quickley in the final stretch of the match. This time another ‘miracle’ like the one in Detroit was not possible.
New York (10-8 now) had a special threesome in the win. Formed by Evan Fournier, Julius Randle and Quickley. The Frenchman scored 26 points in a happy night from the triple. The All-Star went to 20 points, 16 rebounds and 5 assists. But he sat out much of the fourth quarter due to foul play. And the young Quickley added 14 points and 4 triples after a great last quarter. He made 12 of his 14 points in the fourth period.
The Knicks had 6 players with 10 or more points. With a special mention for substitutes Toppin and Burks. The locals played without Derrick Rose, Mitchell Robinson and Taj Gibson.
The great loss of the Lakers was well known. LeBron James did not play due to suspension. And his team lost by being negative for the first time this season (8-9). You could see the team trajectory coming. The Angelenos are unable to date to resolve their matches on the fast track. And also unable to assert their quality against inferior teams.
It was not the case today. These Knicks are not the Pistons or the Rockets or the Thunder. It’s a well-rounded team since Thibodeau arrived. And that’s how they showed themselves in the first part of the game. Especially in a first quarter in which the Lakers rolled triple to triple. And with defense. Although then they faltered and were at the mercy of some very good Lakers.
The Lakers were worth little in the end with their tremendous defensive improvement after the break. After starring in an unfortunate first quarter in that section. And Russell Westbrook’s great game was also of little use. Yeah, Russ played a great game. After losing 5 balls in the first half, he only lost 1 in the second. His third quarter was anthological: 18 points with 7 of 10 shooting, 3 assists and only one loss. Westbrook held his team through the second half. And he finished with a true triple-double: 31 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. With good shooting percentages and positive decline over his teammates. But there were others who were not up to it.
Not especially Carmelo Anthony and Talen Horton-Tucker. The first ended with 3 of 14 in the shot. The second seems to have suddenly forgotten about playing basketball. Today, 0 points with 0 of 8 shooting. And another one who doesn’t raise the bar night after night is Dwight Howard. Suffice it to say that DeAndre Jordan was so much more than Howard. The comparison is already painful. Anthony Davis was in a middle line. He neither was nor fa. He contributed 20 points and 6 rebounds. In his defense it must be said that he played badly.
On the positive side, the great performance of Avery Bradley. On both sides of the court. And the first part of Malik Monk. Though then, he was off.
The party had several parties within it. But one thing in common: the Lakers were never ahead on the scoreboard. Of course, the comeback of the Angelenos was brutal. From -25 to equal.
The Knicks were already 21 points ahead (36-15), still playing the first quarter! Catastrophic start to the Lakers game. Fournier, Randle and Barrett were abusing Vogel’s non-existent defense. At the end of the first quarter: 36-20. With the Knicks having hit 7 triples. The Lakers’ perimeter defense was on vacation for another day.
The Lakers’ bleeding was growing in the second quarter. Until it is very worrying. The Knicks went up 25 points (54-29). The bathroom was spectacular. But it was there that the Lakers realized they were headed for a gruesome laugh. And he reacted. They began to defend the Angelenos. New Yorkers began to reel. Davis’ best minutes. Avery Bradley looked great. From losing by 25 to being 10. And they reached the break with 63-51. He was still gone.
The comeback continued in the third quarter. They were minutes under the omnipotent reign of Westbrook. The base is brutal. Partial 4-25 between the end of the second quarter and the beginning of the third. And 63-60 in the light after a dunk by Davis. And the Lakers did even better when the Knicks faltered and Westbrook blew up. Tie at 79 after a dunk from Carmelo. From -25 to 0! But the Lakers could never take the lead. And there was the key.
The Lakers’ defense had finally become defense. Doubts had permeated the Knicks. And the last quarter began with trend changes: locals down, visitors up.
However, the trends were broken. It is true that the Lakers did not lower their guard on defense. But it is no less true that he stalled in the attack. New York returned to its most intense personality: the work in the rear. And the young people emerged. Quickley and Toppin were not deterred. The triples of the first ended up killing the Lakers. The Angelenos kept surviving because Russ had his day. But the cards were already face up. The team that had dominated the score for 48 minutes would end up winning.
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