Knicks Beat Lakers in LA. NY 114 LA 109

December 19, 2023 LouV 2023-24 0

Julius Randle tore through the Lakers for the first 3 quarters, Jalen Brunson took over late, and Isaiah Hartenstein was the backbone all evening, playing like a beast inside with 17 rebounds, 9 pts, 2 steals, 2 blocks and not allowing Anthony Davis or LeBron James to dominate — instead doing damage himself on both ends.

Immanuel Quickley added firepower off the bench with big buckets late in the 3rd and 4th for 20 points. RJ Barrett played well with aggressive drives and 6-6 from the free throw line for 12 pts. The Knicks were in control most of the evening and looked like the better team.

“Quick gave us a big lift off the bench, Isaiah 17 rebounds, Julius was phenomenal, and Jalen clutch plays for us,” said coach Tom Thibodeau afterwards. “Just a good, solid road win.”

NY improves to 15-11. The Lakers fall to 15-12, after having won the In-Season Tournament.

1. Knicks Lead by 10 Early

The Knicks took control of the game from the start — rolling out to a 35-27 lead at the end of the 1st quarter.

Julius Randle was a beast inside — taking it to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Jalen Brunson was scoring and RJ Barrett was taking it aggressively to the hole and drawing fouls.

Barrett was blocked on drives to the basket by Anthony Davis on consecutive drives in the first two minutes of the game — but that did not deter him as he continued to attack the rim all night, drawing fouls (and going 6-6 from the free throw line) and later in the 3rd quarter going straight at AD again and scoring over him.

Donte DiVincenzo also hit a 3 and then a drive navigating traffic.

Immanuel Quickley joined the fray late in the 1st quarter — hitting a step-back, a floater, a layup, and then a 3 with only a second left to put NY up 35-27.

Quickley was in early to defend the prickly Austin Reaves — who comes off LA’s bench but closes games as their point guard over D’Angelo Russell.

2. Lakers Run at End of Half Gives them Lead

The Knicks continued to be in control in the 2nd quarter — with Randle, Quickley, Brunson, Barrett, and Josh Hart taking it to LA, and Isaiah Hartenstein providing interior presence.

The Knicks went up by 12, 51-39, off a Randle drive with 5 minutes left in the quarter.

But the Lakers went on a 19-6 run to close the half with the lead — a number of 3’s by Taurean Prince and D’Angelo Russell and a number of drives inside by Anthony Davis — who hit a jumper with .1 seconds remaining to put LA on top 58-57.

3. Knicks Take Back Control in 3rd

LeBron James started the 3rd with a drive and then a 3 to give LA their biggest lead at 63-57.

But that would be LA’s last and only hurrah.

Donte DiVincenzo countered with a big 3, Hartenstein dunked inside off a DiVincenzo assist, and Barrett took it to the rim for more free throws to even the game.

Randle powered inside and NY retook the lead.

Randle continued to power inside and then the Knicks closed the quarter well — Quickley hitting a jumper and a 3, and Quentin Grimes hitting a 3 for 7 straight Knick points in the last minute, and an 80-70 lead.

4. Knicks Hold Control thru 4th

The Lakers pulled to within 5 in the first few minutes of the 4th but there was RJ Barrett again — attacking the rim for fouls and hitting both for a 7-pt Knick lead.

And then Jalen Brunson took over, with big time help inside from Isaiah Hartenstein who owned the glass. Great Knick team defense all evening too.

LeBron James tried to enforce his will on the game, making consecutive baskets — a drive and then an emphatic DUNK with 3:38 left to pull LA within 4. The dunk came on a jump ball between RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish, after Barrett had lost the ball and scrambled after it.

But on the other end Julius Randle hit a HUGE 3 from the corner on a terrific in bounds from Barrett with the clock running out — the ball rimming around an in — for a Knick 106-99 lead with 3:14 left.

With NY up 108-104, LeBron missed a shot inside, Quickley rebounded and hit Randle with a quarterback pass for a dunk, and NY seemed to have the game at 110-103.

But Barrett fouled Austin Reaves on a 3 pointer off an inbounds with 27 seconds left to give LA some life. Reaves hit all 3 free throws for a 110-106 game.

Still LA was forced to foul — and the Knicks hit all their free throws — Jalen Brunson going 2-2 and Josh Hart going 2-2 for the old ballgame.

5. Hartenstein Player of the Game

Through it all there was Isaiah Hartenstein — contesting Anthony Davis and LeBron James inside, grabbing huge rebound after huge rebound, and on offense setting big screens, hitting guards with terrific passes, and scoring himself.

“Isaiah Hartenstein makes winning plays with his effort, activity and his willingness to flat-out compete,” tweeted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “He plays through every possession, active on both backboards, gets 50/50 balls, sets hard screens that create space for others and a good passing Big. He takes no play for granted.”

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401584987

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