The New York Knicks’ winning streak is over, as they came out Saturday with a flat-footed defensive performance and fell short of defeating the shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers 128-112. New York has their five-game winning streak end as they are now 32-17, while the Lakers improved to 28-19.
OG Anunoby left the game with a non-contact injury
The focus for the Knicks up until their next game will be the status of defensive stalwart OG Anunoby. On Saturday against the Lakers, Anunoby left the game and would not return after suffering a non-contact injury early in the third quarter.
The Knicks are designating the injury as a right foot sprain, which would be a major sigh of relief given the usual severity of non-contact injuries. Tom Thibodeau said after the game that Anunoby underwent X-rays and that they were negative, further adding that he is unsure if any more tests are planned for Anunoby.
Before the injury, Anunoby had scored 13 points and shot 3-for-4 from three in 17 minutes. If he has to miss a significant amount of time, that would be a massive loss for the Knicks, as he is their best defensive player and is a crucial part of their offensive rhythm as well.
The Knicks’ problems defending the three continued against the Lakers
The Knicks as a team had been defending much better in recent games, but they put up an abysmal defensive performance against the Lakers. Los Angeles shot 58% from the field and 47.5% (19-for-40) from three, and they made scoring look easy against New York’s poor defense.
Five different Lakers scored in double figures, with LeBron James leading the way with a 33-point triple-double that also included 11 rebounds and 12 assists. With no Anthony Davis in this one, they got key contributions from Rui Hachimura (21 points, 3-for-6 3PT) and Dorian Finney-Smith (15 points, 5-for-6 3PT).
Tom Thibodeau’s drop coverage scheme on defense was not working all night, as the Knicks gave up too many open looks to the Lakers and were unable to match it on the offensive end. Five Lakers hit multiple three-pointers, including four from Austin Reaves and another three from Gabe Vincent off the bench.
Karl-Anthony Towns was silenced against the Lakers
Karl-Anthony Towns had his least impactful game as a Knick in this one, as the Lakers game planned him well and kept him quiet all night long.
Towns scored just 11 points on 3-for-12 shooting from the floor and only attempted two three-pointers, making one of them. He also grabbed just six rebounds and dished three assists, which is far from the usual impact he has provided on a nightly basis this season.
Without Davis to match up with Towns, Los Angeles constantly threw double teams at Towns, which made it tough for him to get many shots off. Additionally, he struggled to score inside the arc, as he missed a lot of clean looks underneath the basket that he usually makes.
The hope is that this is just a game that can be forgotten about and he will return to his All-Star form in their next game.
Overview
Less than two hours after this game was completed, the Lakers pulled off one of the most stunning blockbuster trades in NBA history. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Los Angeles is acquiring Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks for Anthony Davis in a stunning three-team trade that nobody saw coming.
For the Knicks, the focus will be on Anunoby’s health leading into their next game, which is scheduled for Monday against the Houston Rockets.