Lakers earn tough win against Knicks

The Lakers out-executed the Knicks in the fourth quarter to win on the road.

With the Lakers taking on the Knicks in Madison Square Garden, the scene was set for great basketball and both teams delivered. It was a back-and-forth game, but the Lakers closed out the fourth quarter strong, securing a 128-112 win on the road.

LeBron James loves playing in New York and had another stellar performance. James had a triple-double in the victory with 33 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds. Austin Reaves started off slow but stepped up big in the second half. He ended the night with 27 points, six assists and five rebounds.

Off the bench, Dorian Finney-Smith had a strong shooting performance, scoring 15 points and going 5-6 from 3-point range.

The Lakers are now 4-1 on their “Grammy Trip” securing an above .500 road trip for Los Angeles.

LeBron got the scoring started for the Lakers with a quick basket and Los Angeles began the game on a 7-3 run.

Rui Hachimura got going early, hitting a couple of corner 3-pointers and had a strong finish at the rim to give the Laker forward eight points early on.

Los Angeles led 17-14 after the first timeout of the game.

James came back from the break and immediately scored on OG Anunoby to extend the Lakers lead to five. However, Jalen Brunson countered with a layup and after a Precious Achiuwa three-point play, the Knicks evened the game at 23.

The Lakers regained the lead momentarily, but after they missed some open jumpers and had a couple of offensive fouls, they allowed New York to keep the game even heading into the second quarter.

For the rest of the half, both teams exchanged makes, but neither could create much separation. For the Lakers, Dorian Finney-Smith caught fire, making the first four 3-pointers he attempted in the second quarter.

The Knicks struggled to get their two stars Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns going and the Lakers ended the first half ahead 59-54.

Austin Reaves kicked off the scoring for Los Angeles with a made 3-pointer in the third quarter to begin the second half as the Lakers maintained their narrow lead.

Unfortunately for the Knicks, Anunoby suffered a right foot sprain in the opening minutes of the third quarter and never returned, severely limiting their bench options.

Midway through the third, Austin Reaves converted on three free throws and after a tough Max Christie finish, the Lakers extended their advantage to eight.

However, New York responded every time Los Angeles appeared to be going on a run. Miles McBride made a four-point play to keep the Knicks within striking distance.

In the closing minute of the quarter, Josh Hart went on a solo 5-0 run, including a buzzer-beating three to make it a 91-89 contest entering the final frame.

With a one-possession advantage on the road, the Lakers had to play a complete 12 minutes to win.

Christie got the scoring started with an open 3-pointer and after a putback slam by Jaxson Hayes, the Lakers were up by five.

Hachimura added a nice hook shot on the following offensive play and Los Angeles had some breathing room.

LeBron had a quiet third, but his fourth was as loud as can be. He had a couple of highlight dunks midway through the quarter ensuring the momentum stayed in L.A.’s favor.

Up by nine with 5:41 left, LeBron kept pouring it on with a 3-pointer and after a Christie layup, the lead ballooned to double-digits.

After another DFS 3-pointer and a Rui slam, the Knicks waived the white flag and emptied the bench with under two minutes to play.

Key Takeaways

This was a tough game for the Lakers to win, but they got it done. Overall, they contained KAT and Brunson well and with LeBron taking over during the fourth quarter, L.A. earned one of the best wins of the season.

The Lakers shot very well from deep going 19-40 as a team. With Anthony Davis out, elite perimeter shooting and focused defense are the recipe for success.

Let’s see if they can make it three in a row by beating the Clippers on the road on Sunday.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.