The Lakers (38-25) continue their five-game home stand on Sunday when they host the New York Knicks (41-23). The purple and gold look to conclude the season series with a tie.
Start time and TV schedule
Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks
When: 12:30 p.m. PT, Mar 8
Where: Crypto.com Arena
Watch: ABC
The Lakers quickly got back into the winning column after taking care of business against the Indiana Pacers on Friday night. Luka Dončić was on a heater and the rest followed his lead. It was the perfect bounceback game and one
that should give them some momentum ahead of a tough matchup against the Knicks.
The Knicks side that the Lakers will stumble upon on Sunday afternoon is one that’s playing outstanding basketball right now. Aside from being the team that cooled off the San Antonio Spurs last week, New York has taken their production to another level, at least compared to when they faced the Lakers last month.
They’re also coming off a dominant victory against the Denver Nuggets, which helped the Lakers in the standings. So thanks for that!
What makes this Knicks team even better than the version the Lakers saw in February is that their defense is even better. In the last 10 games, they have the second-best defense in the league thanks to a couple of scheme adjustments. They’re going to once again attempt to expose the Lakers’ lack of shooting as well as test who will step up outside of Dončić. This is where Austin Reaves and co., come in.
The Lakers’ defense will also have to hold up its end of the bargain in this one. The Knicks have the offensive tools to give the Lakers a lot of trouble on this end, such as a dynamic point guard, a plethora of 3-D wings and an above-average big man. They rebound the ball very well, too. If the Lakers’ defense stays mediocre, then, frankly speaking, there’s no way they’re going to win this one.
Hopefully, we get a classic Dončić game and maybe a LeBron James one if he suits up. There’s no ongoing rivalry between these two teams, but it’s a big deal when it’s Los Angeles against New York. It’ll also be nice to tie the season series and get a dub against a team above .500.
Let’s see if the Lakers can do just that in their matinee marquee matchup on Sunday.
Notes and Updates
- After missing Friday’s game with an injury, LeBron James (left elbow contusion, left foot athritis) is listed as questionable. Maxi Kleber (lumbar back strain) is also questionable. Deandre Ayton, who played less than five minutes against Denver and didn’t play against Indiana, is off the injury report.
- For New York, Landry Shamet (cervical neck sprain) is questionable while Miles McBride (pelvic core muscle surgery) is out.
You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.
