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Inactives
Lakers: Pau Gasol, DJ Mbenga
Knicks: Eddy Curry, Stephon Marbury, Cuttino Mobley
There’s serious news, and fun news. Let’s start with the hard stuff…
A) Pau Gasol’s out with strep throat.
The Lakers sent the Spaniard home, which would be bad in any contest but is particularly unfortunate for L.A. since New York has such a small lineup. As such, the Lakers would have been able to utilize Gasol at the center spot more often than in many games, where he could be quite effective against Al Harrington or David Lee on the block, and still be able to get back in transition. Surely, Lamar Odom will need to step his game up for the Lakers.
And the ridiculous…
B) Stephon Marbury at STAPLES … as a spectator.
Before I explain all the insanity, here’s what the New York Post has on the whole story:
“Marbury has been banned from attending Knicks games in an official capacity, and from practices. But it seems nobody told him he couldn’t attend a game as a paying customer.”
Here’s what was going on before the game:
1) Marbury walked here and there on the actual floor, shaking hands and dapping people such as Knicks radio play-by-play man Gus Johnson (who’s also just “the man” in general).
2) Marbury paused around on the floor, then sat next to Spike Lee on the baseline by Denzel Washington’s usual seats to chat.
3) Several fans stopped by to take photos with Starbury and Spike, and the pair gladly obliged.
4) Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza and Josh Powell all rolled over to say hello to Marbury and Spike.
5) One of the STAPLES ushers tried to make Marbury move from the seat next to Spike three spots away … and succeeded.
6) Marbury rolled through FSN’s live shot while Michael Eaves was talking on camera, which was funny.
Starting Lineups:
Lakers: Fish, Kobe, Luke, Lamar and Bynum.
Knicks: Chris Duhon, Quentin Richardson, Wilson Chandler, David Lee and Al Harrington
First Quarter
4:43 In taking an 18-14 lead, the Lakers were able to assert themselves in the paint, as Bynum earned two easy hoops, Odom one and Bryant a short jumper with the smaller Knicks defending. The Knicks, however, were getting far too many open looks from distance, which would become more of a problem in the following minutes.
2:12 Mike Breen told us about it before the game. Jim Cleamons went into detail after shootaround. Shucks, my grandfather who doesn’t watch the NBA even knew it: The Knicks love to jack up threes early in the shot clock. The Lakers, however, didn’t pay particular attention to New York’s shooters, who promptly hoisted 10 threes in the first 10 minutes of action. They made half of them, accounting for 15 of the Knicks’ first 25 points as the visitors took a 25-18 lead. After Tim Thomas nailed that fifth three, Jackson called a timeout and inserted Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic and Josh Powell alongside Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza.
0:20 Two Nate Robinson free throws completed a stretch of 10 personal points in about two minutes for the 5-9 guard, who slashed through the Lakers with relative ease. Robinson took over for Richardson, who nailed three triples and two layups en route to 13 points, meaning that those two scored just three points fewer than the Lakers in a 37-26 first quarter.
0:00 The horn sounded to mercifully close a period in which the Knicks seemingly got anything they wanted offensively, and saw the Lakers scrambling on their heels for much of the time. Lamar Odom was quite effective in the absence of Gasol, scoring seven points with five boards. The biggest problem for the purple and gold was an inability to matchup with the smaller Knicks. Clearly some adjustments needed to be made, as New York shot 52 percent from the field, 50 percent from three and made all six of their free throws. While the Lakers didn’t turn the ball over, they made just 12-of-29 shots, including 1-of-6 from three, as the three-line was the obvious difference in the quarter.
Second Quarter
9:50 Vujacic hit his second consecutive shot after up-faking Wilson Chandler in the corner and canning a baseline jumper. On the previous possession, Sasha nailed a top-of-the-key three after some good Lakers ball movement.
8:45 Ariza became the third Laker in the quarter’s first three minutes to miss an easy layup. The tempo just wasn’t right for the home team. After a timeout, Bynum checked back into the game, perhaps with the design of re-establishing L.A.’s brand of basketball.
7:00 For a three-minute stretch, the Knicks started to show the negative side of their brand of basketball. First came a Harrington turnover, then an ill-advised Chandler three (brick), a Robinson offensive foul, Robinson missed three and finally a Robinson turnover. Ariza managed to stick a jumper, but instead of using that dry spell to chip the lead considerably, the Lakers turned the ball over twice, missed an open three and an easy layup. Robinson then dropped a three at the 6:31 mark to make it 50-37 Knicks.
5:30 Bynum, who’s averaging 13.1 points and 9.0 boards on the season now, threw in a nice baby hook to cut New York’s lead under 10 for the first time in a hot tick, but Duhon quickly found Robinson for an alley-oop layup at the other end. That gave the Knicks 52 points with five minutes remaining, meaning they were well on their way to their 106 points per game. Bryant then missed again, and Duhon canned a three, the ninth three of the first half for the Knicks. Why, you wonder, do the Knicks keep hucking up bombs undeterred? Well, that’s part of D’Antoni’s offensive splendor. Even though you know it’s coming if you’re a Lakers’ defender, your body isn’t used to popping out so quickly in the shot clock, and in such unconventional places on the floor. So while your feet are programmed to sag into the lane to cut off penetration with the whole shot clock remaining, the Knicks are already shooting. By the second half at least, L.A. should be able to make minor adjustments.
2:57 With New York heading into a timeout up 57-46 on the Lakers on the road, Mike Breen’s comments in our interview today are really holding true: Mike D’Antoni is really great at breeding confidence to his players. The Knicks have a certain swagger about them, whether they’re shooting threes or cutting to the hoop or just running around on defense despite their lack of size that’s impressive for what was a dead franchise last year. That doesn’t mean they’re going to be able to sustain a torrid shooting first half on this night, but what an absolutely massive change in team culture.
1:27 After a great take to the hole with his left hand – a move Odom executed regularly last season – rimmed out, my loose count on missed Lakers layups is seven. That’s literally 14 points right there.
0:49 Almost unnecessarily, Richardson hit his fifth three of the quarter to give the Knicks a 65-50 lead at the break. That was the 11th three from the Knicks in 23 attempts (47.8 percent). The Lakers failed to respond as both Odom and Walton missed shots.
After all that, the Lakers had made just 19-of-52 shots, including 7-of-23 in the second quarter, and made just 2-of-10 threes. It was almost the opposite for the Knicks, who registered 19 assists on their 23 makes, including eight from Duhon (who averages 8.5 a night, good for fourth in the NBA). Meanwhile, David Lee grabbed 12 boards, and Nate Robinson was at times (somehow) the best player on the floor. The little one finished with 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting, making all six of his shots from the foul line and adding four assists.
Third Quarter
11:00 As easy as it is to build a lead when you’re making threes, it’s even easier to blow a lead while tossing up bricks. Live by it … Die by it … You know. The Knicks opened the third by missing consecutive threes, as Bryant and Bynum converted respective hoops at the other end, as L.A. didn’t waste any time to mount its comeback.
9:53A minute later, and seven more points. A great play from Luke Walton – a steal and converted layup plus the foul – preceded a Fisher jumper in transition that cut New York’s 15-point halftime lead to only six, at 67-61.
9:22 Walton’s beautifully feathered pass was plastered through the rim by Bynum to again cut things to six. That play works at least … what … twice a game? At minimum?
8:00 New York’s best offensive play is the Duhon – Lee pick-and-roll, which Duhon turned into a triple in a crazy up-and-down quarter. The details: Fisher went under Lee’s screen, and Duhon immediately hoisted the shot. There are some point guards whom players always go over screens on in the pick and roll, like Steve Nash (because of his terrific shooting) and some where you go under or switch it up. Duhon’s probably somewhere in between, but that time going under was the wrong move.
6:34 Speaking of Duhon … after canning that three, N.Y.’s point guard took advantage of Bryant’s defensive gamble to get all the way to the hoop and finish plus the harm, putting the Knicks back up 10 after Fish had made a triple from the corner.
3:56 Three point game. Kobe saw to it by going coast-to-coast and finishing in the lane to make it 80-77 Knicks. That hoop completed a 12-4 run since the 7:26 mark. More than anything else, the Knicks just didn’t get as many good looks as the Lakers finally seemed annoyed at the ridiculous scoring pace of the blue and orange.
2:37 A Chandler jumper and Lee layup (14 and 13 for Lee, fantasy owners) were timely, giving the Knicks an 84-77 lead to temporarily halt a Lakers’ team that scored 27 points in less then 10 minutes.
41.7 With just a second left on the shot clock, Farmar hit a big shot on the baseline to make it 88-82, after Ariza had answered a 6-0 Knicks run with a triple. Seconds later, Ariza came up with a steal, stormed down the court and finished in traffic to make the score 88-84 after three. The Lakers made up 11 points on the 15-point deficit by outscoring the Knicks 34-23 for the quarter. In other news, don’t forget to check out Stephon Marbury’s absurd halftime interview, which we’ll have for you in a separate post.
The Lakers shot a fantastic 15-of-25 (60 percent) in the quarter and held the Knicks to 8-of-20 shooting (40 percent), but more importantly, the Knicks made just one triple in the quarter.
Fourth Quarter
Here was L.A.’s lineup to start the fourth quarter: Farmar, Vujacic, Ariza, Radmanovic and Powell. No Kobe, no Lamar, no Pau (home sick, remember), no Bynum. The Knicks kept three starters on the floor, plus Nate Robinson and Tim Thomas.
10:00 Vujacic nailed a tough jumper off a screen for his ninth point of the game to give both teams four points in the first two minutes.
8:31 The Knicks certainly didn’t lay down and die when L.A. stormed back, most recently getting three free throws from Tim Thomas (never foul the shooter…) to claim a 97-90 lead. Tim Thomas is certainly on the list of did-most-with-least at this point of his career.
7:47 Nate Rob, who doubled as a football and basketball player at the University of Washington, continued to give the Lakers fits with a pretty little pull-up jumper for his 26th point on 13 shots (plus eight free throws).
7:00 Odom’s two free throws cut New York’s lead to 99-96, giving Lamar 15 points, 12 boards and two dimes. You know Odom’s putting up numbers when he gets over 30 minutes (32 to that point).
6:10 An emphatic Bryant dunk at one end was answered by an even more aggressive flush at the other by Harrington, as N.Y. crossed the 100-point threshold to take a 101-98 lead … That was promptly erased in one Bryant stroke from a foot in front of the Knicks bench.
5:18 And the Lakers were in front. Fisher was the man, up-faking a scrambling Robinson after Bryant drew the double-team and swishing a 17-foot jumper. Rising with L.A.’s play in the second half was the crowd noise from a crowd grateful not just for L.A.’s comeback, but for an extremely entertaining game. More important than the entertainment was that the Lakers were getting steamrolled defensively in that first half, but changed that story entirely in the second.
2:58 The Knicks responded to L.A.’s 4-0 run with consecutive buckets, the latter a Lee jumper, to tie things up at 107. In related news, Spike Lee was photographed trying to high five Chris Rock on the baseline. Do you think Spike would rather win a “Best Director” Oscar or see the Knicks pull it out tonight?
2:49 David Beckham loves the kiss cam. His eyes dropped not once from the Jumbotron while a bunch of random people decided to either go at it or shun the cameras. Glad to please you, Becks.
2:14 Looking like a bulldog, Fisher picked Robinson’s pocket - more important than you’d think, since Robinson being isolated and slashing to the hoop had created much of New York’s offense in the second half - and then converted two free throws at the other end after drawing a foul. Not a guy you want to foul, Fisher’s made 38-of-40 free throws this season, good for second-best in the NBA after Jose Calderon’s perfect 58-of-58.
1:38 Seen that one before. Bryant, isolated at the top of the key, stepped back to nail a jumper and give the Knicks a 111-109 lead.
1:15 Little Nate Rob en fuego … What a time for New York’s first three-pointer of the quarter to give the Knicks a one-point lead. While Beckham groaned, Spike Lee almost sprinted out to hug Robinson, but somehow contained himself.
1:03 An absolutely fantastic display of athleticism from Lamar … After leaping over Harrington just to catch a risky inbounds pass from Ariza, Odom took three dribbles into the lane, then threw up an alley-oop to Ariza for a almost-rimmed-out lay in. That Odom even thought to make that play shows the kind of special basketball instinct he possesses, but isn’t always able to produce (nor should he be expected to). That’s 17 points, 12 boards and four dimes for Odom.
26.4 After Ariza’s miss from the corner, the Knicks cleared the board and D’Antoni called timeout. Who gets the rock? I wouldn’t be surprised to see Robinson isolated.
10 The Knicks somehow got Bynum switched out on Robinson, who immediately blew by him, but some nice help defense forced a miss, and Ariza gathered the rebound. Ariza smartly gave the ball to Bryant, who found Fisher in the open floor, and there was no way Fisher would miss from the foul line in that situation, right?
6.4 First shot … Good. Second shot … Good. 115-112 Lakers.
3.8 Instead of allowing a three-pointer, Fisher fouled Robinson with a reach in, and Robinson made both shots to make it a one-point game. You have to think that Jackson wanted to make this a foul shooting contest instead of allowing the Knicks a chance to tie with the triple. In fact, the plan is particularly smart here because New York doesn’t have a timeout, meaning they can’t advance the ball after Fisher’s free throws.
2.7 Boy was that plan close to back-firing. Ariza JUST got the ball into Fisher past Robinson’s outstretched hands in the backcourt, but Fish drew the foul.
2.7 part 2 Fish actually missed the front end of the 1-and-1. Incredible. But fortunately for the Lakers, the Knicks were able to muster just a three-quarter court heave from Duhon at the buzzer, and L.A. escaped with a victory. So even with the missed foul shot, Jackson’s plan proved very smart. 116-114 is your final in quite a terrific contest that saw a 15-point halftime deficit turned into a two-point victory. One key for you: L.A. limited the Knicks to 2-for-8 shooting from three in the second half after giving up 11-of-23 in the first. Scoring 66 points in the second half didn’t hurt, of course. See you in the postgame.
