Knicks Can’t Hit Side of Barn. Lakers 110 NY 97

March 9, 2026 LouV 2025-26 0
Landry Shamet had 10 pts on 4-8 shooting (2-6 from 3). Photo courtesy NY Knicks.

The Knicks missed shots and opportunities all afternoon in a 110-97 loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles on a Sunday afternoon.

NY started the game 1-12 from 3, but were only down 7 at the half. The feeling was if they could hit their 3 they would win the game. But they didn’t — finishing 8-34 from 3 for 24 percent.

To say they couldn’t hit the side of the barn — even when they did, the shot rolled in and out. That happened to them numerous times in the 1st half. Then in the 3rd quarter — there were more missed shots and turnovers as well, as the Lakers moved out to a 26-pt lead.

NY stormed back in the 4th quarter — pulling to within 11 pts with 6 minutes left. But again — missed shots and missed opportunities. NY held LA to only 22 pts in the 4th quarter but couldn’t hit enough shots to capitalize.

Karl-Anthony Towns led NY with 25 pts on 8-17 shooting (1-5 from 3, 8-8 in free throws), with 16 rebounds. He pounded the ball inside all night — taking advantage of Deandre Ayton, who started the night well but then disappeared.

But Towns’ great game went for naught as NY missed 3 after 3. Brunson was stifled all night by intense Laker D targeted at him, then broke free in the 4th quarter, leading the Knick comeback and finishing with 24 pts on 8-19 shooting.

With NY down 26 and seemingly missing every shot, Jordan Clarkson was injected into the game late in the 3rd quarter and he began the Knick comeback, scoring 9 pts on 3-4 shooting. Mikal Bridges had 0 pts on 0-6 shooting — although one of his shots rolled in and out, and he had 6 rebounds, 5 assists, a steal, and a block — and teamed with OG Anunoby to play good D on Luka Doncic in the 4th quarter.

Luka Doncic led LA with 35 pts on 11-25 shooting (5-16 from 3), while Austin Reaves had 25 pts on 8-16 shooting, and Rui Hachimura had 13 pts (3-8 from 3). LeBron James did not play due to a sore foot.

Coach Brown’s Thoughts

“We didn’t give ourselves much of a chance to win this ballgame, at any point, and that’s what’s frustrating,” said coach Mike Brown afterwards.

“They kicked our behind on the glass,” added Brown. “The 2nd thing is, we fouled them. We got beat off the dribble often; got beat in the middle, and being real lazy about it we’d reach at the last second and sent them to the free throw line. And then lastly, we didn’t take care of the basketball. And that’s a recipe to get your behind kicked, especially on the road, if you’re going to get beat in second chance points the way we did without boxing out, if you’re going to reach because you can’t contain the basketball… and then having 18 turnovers. That’s a recipe for disaster on the road.”

Laker’s Austin Reaves Thoughts

“We played harder than them,” said Austin Reaves afterwards. “We set the tone early and had a good 3rd quarter.”

NY falls to 41-24, still in 3rd in the East a game ahead of Cleveland which lost to Boston earlier in the day. LA improves to 39-25.

1. Lakers Jump Out to 31-23 Lead as Knicks Miss Shots

The Lakers jumped out to a 14-6 lead, as NY started missing shots, while Luka Doncic and Deandre Ayton got buckets inside and out, and Rui Hachimura hit a 3. NY pulled back within 22-19 on buckets by Brunson, Landry Shamet, and Mohamed Diawara.

Luka Doncic was getting buckets for LA — scoring 22 pts in the 1st quarter.

The score was 28-23 LA after a Mitchell Robinson alley-oop slam dunk off an OG pass, but Luke Kennard hit a 3 near the end of the quarter to give LA a 31-23 lead.

2. Knicks Keep Missing Shots, but Pull Within 7 at Half

KAT started to power inside to start the 2nd quarter — something he would do successfully all night. He scored 4 straight pts to start the quarter to pull NY within 31-27.

But NY continued to miss 3 after 3 — and had inside shots roll in and out.

Hachimura hit a 3 to put LA up 40-31, then Bridges drove for a layup that rolled in and out.

Jarred Vanderbilt hit a 3, and Marcus Smart a free throw and the Lakers went up by 13 pts at 46-33.

But NY pushed back. Brunson finally hit a 3 (NY was 1-12 from 3 at that point) and then OG scored consecutive buckets and NY was within 46-40.

Austin Reaves answered with buckets but an OG 3 pulled NY within 5 at 50-45.

Luka fired back but a Brunson bucket and Landry Shamet layup off a Diawara pass pulled NY within 3 with 10 seconds left.

Austin Reaves hit a shot with the buzzer sounding to put LA up 7 at the half — but it seemed a matter of time that NY would take over this game.

3. Lakers Run Knicks Off Court in 3rd — Go Up by 23

But the opposite happened — NY kept missing their 3 in the 3rd, and LA developed a confidence that caused them to hit every shot they took — as they rolled out to a 26-pt lead.

KAT started the quarter with a bucket inside to pull NY within 4.

But Ayton and Reaves counted with buckets, and then Luka Doncic hit a fall away 3 from 30 feet on the left side as the shot clock expired with OG all over him, giving LA a 65-56 lead.

The Knicks were down by 9 pts  at 74-65 with 4:32 left in the quarter after a Josh Hart drive, when LA went on an 11-0 run to put NY down by 20.

Luka hit a drive, then another 30-foot 3 from the left side, Jaxson Hayes added free throws, Marcus Smart scored inside, and Jake LaRavia grabbed an offensive rebound and scored — LA could not miss, while the Knicks kept missing 3’s or turning the ball over.

4. Clarkson Begins Knick Comeback

Jordan Clarkson was put in to try to get a bucket for NY — and he got free throws off a drive — but Luka hit another 26-foot step-back 3, and LA was up by 21 pts.

A Clarkson bucket pulled NY within 19 entering the 4th.

5. Knicks Pull within 10 in 4th — But Miss More Opportunities

The Lakers pushed their lead to 23 pts at the start of the 4th quarter, when the Knicks finally pushed back — Brunson leading the charge by shaking off the heavy Laker D and starting to get buckets.

  • Brunson entered the 4th with only 9 pts, but hit a 15-foot step back to begin the period.
  • KAT then hit a drive-and-1 to pull NY back within 20.
  • Brunson drove the lane against heavy Laker D and scored, then grabbed a rebound, and came down and hit a floater — and NY was within 19.
  • Clarkson hit a 3, OG hit a deuce, and Brunson hit a 3 for an 8-2 Knick run, pulling them within 13 at 99-86 with 8:16 left. Laker timeout.
  • Doncic answered out of the time out with a bucket, but Clarkson answered that and KAT got free throws off a drive and NY was within 11 at 101-90 with 6 minutes left.

But alas in the next 2 minutes, NY missed ample opportunities to close it:

  • Brunson threw the ball out of bounds against a heavy D, expecting Bridges to be in a spot but he wasn’t.
  • KAT missed a 3,
  • Bridges missed a 3,
  • OG lost the ball on a drive,
  • Clarkson missed a 3, and
  • Jaxson Hayes made a free throw for LA to make it 102-90 with 4 minutes left.

Then, with the score 102-90 LA,

  • Brunson missed 1 of 2 free throws,
  • Brunson missed a 3,
  • KAT grabbed the offensive rebound but missed the tip shot, and
  • Brunson lost the ball off an Austin Reaves steal.

Doncic scored down the other end and LA was up 104-91 with 2:52 left.

NY pulled within 10 with 1:28 left on a KAT 3 but it was too little too late as the Knicks went down to defeat.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401810777

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