Lakers outlast Knicks in OT behind a collective effort.
With the end of the regular season looming, each game is crucial for the Lakers to win and avoid the play-in playoff spot. The Lakers were able to come out on top tonight in a must-win matchup against the New York Knicks, winning 101–99. With tonight’s win, the Lakers moved their season record to 39–30, as they still remain in 7th place in the West with three games left in the regular season.
The Lakers were able to be in a position to win in overtime because of a last-second putback by Wes Matthews, who put himself in a perfect spot to seal and grab the rebound to lay it in. The play of the night was made by 21-year-old sophomore Talen-Horton Tucker, who hit a clutch game-winning three to put the Lakers up by two with 20 seconds remaining.
With his roller coaster up and down consistency throughout the season, Kyle Kuzma came to play tonight for the Lakers after receiving harsh criticism for his performance in his last game, going 2 for 11 and finishing with only 4 points in Friday’s loss to the Trail Blazers. In tonight’s overtime win, Kuzma finished with a team-high 23 points, with 18 of those points coming in the first half. Kuzma shot over 50% from the perimeter and the field, going 4 for 8 (50%) from three and 9 for 17 (53%) overall.
The Lakers’ second-leading scorer on the night came from their all-star big man Anthony Davis, who has emerged, looking like his superstar self as of late since coming back from injury. In the overtime win, Davis finished with 20 points on 8 for 23 (34%) shooting from the field. Davis was also able to finish with 6 rebounds and 4 assists in his 43 minutes of action, ending the night with a plus/minus of +6. After the game, Anthony gave praise to the 21-year-old Horton-Tucker, the fellow Chicago native just like Horton-Tucker saying:
“The kid has confidence. He has heart. Second-year in the league, you don’t see that from a lot of players.”
The progression of the 21-year-old sophomore Talen Horton-Tucker has surpassed all expectations as he has shown throughout the season just how valuable he can be for this team. In 34 minutes of action, Horton-Tucker finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 rebounds, including the game-winning three to give the Lakers the win in overtime. Head coach Frank Vogel applauded Horton-Tucker’s effort and game-winning shot in tonight’s overtime win saying:
“He’s got big guts. He showed that with that shot.”
Growing up in Chicago, Horton-Tucker idolized Derrick Rose, who was drafted 1st overall by his home state Chicago Bulls. Tonight Horton-Tucker was able to matchup up against his hero for the first time in his career, with Rose giving him no mercy finishing the night second on the Knicks in scoring with 27 points.
Andre Drummond has had some difficulty trying to get on-page and develop a chemistry with the Lakers team, which is something that’s normal for players coming into a new team and a new playbook. Tonight Drummond said it was the first night (since becoming a Laker) he “finally felt normal for once,” as he’s continuing to get closer to finding his rhythm. In 35 minutes, Drummond finished with 16 points on 6 for 11 (54%) overall from the field, including a game-high 18 rebounds, with 5 of them coming from the offensive glass.
The return of LeBron James is set for tomorrow evening against the Houston Rockets. This return makes sense for the James and the Lakers, who are matched up against a lower-standing team in the west, just before the end of the regular season to give James some games to get his legs back from injury and find his rhythm.