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NEW YORK — From a dead-legged start, the Lakers revved up quickly. Behind a charging Russell Westbrook, they adjacent looked similar they mightiness bargain a roadworthy crippled that began arsenic a lopsided affair.
But large comebacks instrumentality up a batch of fuel. And by the decorativeness connected Tuesday night, the Lakers’ vessel was empty.
In the end, the New York Knicks were capable to clasp connected for a 106-100 win, and the Lakers, who ne'er really led contempt their energetic comeback, fell to 9-10 wide and 1-3 connected their archetypal large roadworthy trip.
Westbrook provided the astir spark of immoderate Laker, finishing with 31 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for his 4th triple-double of the season. His sometimes maddening inconsistencies ironed retired successful the past 3 quarters of a crippled successful which the Lakers ceded a 25-point pb to their hosts.
They needed idiosyncratic to instrumentality charge. LeBron James served a one-game suspension from the erstwhile crippled successful Detroit, portion Anthony Davis battled done flu-like symptoms to decorativeness with 20 points and six rebounds.
But the Lakers could not adjacent out: With the crippled inactive wrong scope astatine 99-93, the Lakers missed 9 of their adjacent 10 shots arsenic the Knicks pushed their pb backmost to treble digits.
Perimeter shooting was a difference-maker for New York, which changeable 15 for 34 from 3-point range. Evan Fournier had six 3-pointers connected his own, finishing with a team-best 26 points for the Knicks.
Davis was the Laker who was initially questionable, but the full starting lineup looked nether the upwind during a miserable start. The Knicks scored 10 consecutive earlier the Lakers’ archetypal point. A timeout changed little: The Knicks continued to bully them with Julius Randle (20 points, 16 rebounds, 5 assists) backing down into the paint, and a full big of shooters burning up the 3-point line. After the archetypal 2 minutes, the Lakers ne'er got person than 9 points for the remainder of the archetypal half.
Many acquainted problems cropped up, main among them inattentive defense. There were dilatory switching onto shooters connected screens. They were back-cut by Obi Toppin. They were beaten connected the boards.
New York’s turnovers helped their guests get backmost successful business: The Knicks had 14 turnovers, which resulted successful 22 points for a abruptly tenacious Lakers modulation attack.
The turnaround came during the play that has caused the astir angst for the Lakers: the feared 3rd quarter. But that was erstwhile Westbrook came alive, scoring 18 points everyplace from astatine the rim to the 3-point line. He preyed connected the Knicks’ consciousness of comfortableness that had built up successful the archetypal half, maniacally streaking into passing lanes and unlocking the modulation attack.
A 12-point New York pb astatine halftime kept dwindling. Finally, the Lakers erased it precocious successful the third: Westbrook sent an outlet walk retired to a streaking Carmelo Anthony, who got a lukewarm Madison Square Garden reception erstwhile helium tied it up astatine 79 with a dunk.
Anthony was conscionable 3 of 14 for 12 points, and Talen Horton-Tucker missed each 8 shots successful a scoreless outing.
More to travel connected this story.
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