New York Knicks lose back-to-back games against the LA Lakers and Clippers: Heavy legs

The New York Knicks lost on back-to-back nights. Their offense flopped against the Los Angeles Lakers in a 110-97 loss. Then defense and turnovers let them down in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers,

New York’s offense let it down against the Lakers. The Knicks’ jumpers abandoned them, leaving them unable to catch up as the Lakers held the lead all game. New York still made second-half pushes, thanks to quality defense. But Jalen Brunson’s turnovers all but sealed the defeat down the stretch.

The scoring woes continued, as three Knicks scored all but four of New York’s 55 first-half points against the Clippers. New York played sloppily, with turnovers thwarting every attempt they made at a comeback.

Vs. LAL: 25 PTS (8/17 FG, 1/5 3PT, 8/8 FT), 2 AST, 16 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO in 34 mins
Vs. LAC: 35 PTS (13/17 FG, 3/4 3PT, 6/8 FT), 7 AST, 12 REB, 1 BLK, 3 TO in 36 mins

If Karl-Anthony Towns had gotten three-pointers to fall, he may have changed the results against the Lakers. KAT was a force in the middle and deserved even more opportunities to attack the heart of the defense.

Towns continued to play well against the Clippers. He scored 21 points in the first half despite foul trouble in the first quarter and a tweaked knee in the second. Towns continued his offensive explosion and kept the game close when no one else could score.

Vs. LAL: 24 PTS (8/19 FG, 3/8 3PT, 5/7 FT), 7 AST, 6 REB, 7 TO in 42 mins
Vs. LAC: 28 PTS (12/23 FG, 2/7 3PT, 2/3 FT), 8 AST, 4 REB, 1 STL, 3 TO in 38 mins

Jalen Brunson’s recent shooting woes continued for most of the Laker game. He got hot in the fourth quarter and nearly brought the Knicks back. But the Captain also lost his composure after some missed calls, leading to backbreaking turnovers in crunch time.

Cap broke out of his slump against the Clippers, with 13 points in the first quarter. Brunson made big shots throughout the game and managed eight assists in a game where most of his supporting cast struggled. It’s a relief to see Brunson’s scoring get on track, even in the loss.

Vs. LAL: 10 PTS (4/8 FG, 2/6 3PT), 2 AST, 1 REB, 1 STL, 3 TO in 27 mins
Vs. LAC: 9 PTS (3/12 FG, 2/12 3PT), 1 REB, 2 TO in 23 mins

Landry Shamet gave the Knicks a boost, first with his shooting, then by defending the Lakers’ star wings as well as anyone could. He outperformed Bridges and Hart.

Shamet cooled off a night later. He missed eight three-point attempts before finally getting one to fall. He made three in a row before missing a crucial shot in the final thirty seconds.

Vs. LAL: 0 PTS (0/6 FG, 0/4 3PT), 5 AST, 6 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO in 27 mins
Vs. LAC: 7 PTS (3/8 FG, 1/3 3PT), 4 AST, 7 REB, 2 STL, 1 TO in 26 mins

Mikal Bridges had a nightmare game against the Lakers. His few misses came on open three-pointers and transition layup opportunities. Meanwhile, his defense failed him as Doncic and Reaves left him in foul trouble.

Bridges finally scored in the second quarter against the Clippers. His scoring remained limited, though he contributed across the board at everything else.

Vs. LAL: 13 PTS (5/11 FG, 1/4 3PT, 2/2 FT), 1 AST, 8 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 38 mins
Vs. LAC: 22 PTS (8/15 FG, 3/8 3PT, 3/4 FT), 2 AST, 6 REB, 2 STL, 4 TO in 37 mins

I’m not sure that the Lakers held OG Anunoby in check as much as his jumper failed him. Anunoby couldn’t hit his three-pointers, but he attacked off the dribble and got results. He defended Luka well, though the star hit some incredible shots.

While Brunson and KAT did the heavy lifting against the Clippers, OG was the only other Knick providing any offense in the first half. But Anunoby kept stepping out of bounds, and the turnovers hurt his overall impact.

Vs. LAL: 8 PTS (4/8 FG, 0/1 3PT), 2 AST, 6 REB, 2 STL, 1 TO in 22 mins
Vs. LAC: 12 PTS (5/7 FG, 1/3 3PT, 1/1 FT), 3 AST, 13 REB, 3 TO in 36 mins

The Lakers game felt like Josh Hart was a step slower than usual. Hart didn’t win races to long rebounds like usual, and didn’t get into the paint as frequently.

Hart played better, but still looked off the next night. He struggled with turnovers early and only scored on scattered opportunities until late in the fourth quarter, when it was too little, too late.

That was brutal, but I’m willing to blame the schedule for these losses. In the past eight days, the Knicks flew from New York to Toronto, back to New York, then out West to Denver and LA. They played two back-to-backs during that span.

It’s no wonder the players looked tired, had no legs on jumpers, and made mental errors. The good news is that the schedule softens from here on out. Hopefully, New York can put together a nice win streak that gets some players extra rest before the playoffs.

For now, let’s just look forward to Utah being the last late game on the schedule. Knicks fans need sleep too! I’ll see you next time, fam!