Knicks-Lakers Preview

By NOEY KUPCHAN
Posted Dec 24 2012 9:53PM

Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks got the best of Kobe Bryant and a Los Angeles Lakers team that was without two of its best players earlier this month.

Things could be different this time around with Steve Nash and Pau Gasol both back on the court.

Looking to continue their recent home domination in this series, the surging Lakers try to extend their longest winning streak of the season in a heavyweight showdown against the Knicks on Christmas Day.

Bryant had 31 points, 10 rebounds and six assists while Dwight Howard and Metta World Peace scored a combined 43, but Los Angeles couldn't keep up at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 13, falling 116-107 in coach Mike D'Antoni's first game against New York since his resignation in March.

"I wanted to beat them. I wanted to beat the Lakers, especially protecting our home court," Anthony said after scoring 30 on 10-of-15 shooting. "It had nothing to do with Mike. I wanted to protect our home court and win the basketball game."

The Lakers (13-14), though, have since put together four straight victories, most recently pulling out a 118-115 overtime win at Golden State in Nash's much-anticipated return Saturday. The eight-time All-Star had 12 points and nine assists in his first action since missing nearly two months due to a small fracture in his left leg, helping Los Angeles overcome a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit.

"It's great to be back playing with these guys, it was very painful to sit out," said Nash, who played over 40 minutes. "I'm happy I can contribute. We're just trying to build a team and build some spirit, where we go out there we know we got a chance to win and we compete for it and try to earn it every night.

"I'm just anxious to play and get wins. We've won four in a row and if we can keep this going, we put ourselves back in contention. We should be a desperate team right now."

Nash's return appears to have come at just the right time for a Lakers team starting to hit its stride.

"The guy is a winner. I think that we're a completely different team with him out there," D'Antoni said of Nash, whom he also coached in Phoenix. "The floor opens up and it changes everything."

Bryant, averaging 33.8 points over his last eight contests, scored 34 on 16-of-41 shooting Saturday while Gasol had 10 boards and six assists in his second game back since missing eight with knee tendinitis.

Los Angeles has taken eight of nine from New York (20-7) at home, including the last five by an average of 12.4 points. The Lakers, though, know they'll have their hands full in this one.

"Melo's playing really well, we know that, so it starts with him," Gasol said. "But then you have (other) guys that are playing also really well together, very experienced guys... . "It's a tough team, tough matchup."

Anthony (28.3), who ranks second in the league in scoring to Bryant (29.7), came up huge Sunday in a 94-91 victory over Minnesota. The MVP candidate scored 19 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter as New York bounced back from a loss to Chicago two days earlier.

"This was a big game for us. Sunday afternoon game, tough one, Christmas is right around the corner, we're going on the road. These are the kind of games that you lose, that you get lured into," said Tyson Chandler, who had 16 points and nine boards. "I was proud of the guys for really being able to... gut it out and get this win before we start this road trip."

The Knicks, who open a three-game trek Tuesday, have won four of five on the road.

No team has played more on Christmas Day than New York, which has gone 22-25 in such games - including a 1-6 road record.

"There's nothing like playing on Christmas," Anthony said.

Lakers beat Knicks 100-94 to get to .500

By BETH HARRIS
Posted Dec 25 2012 8:39PM

LOS ANGELES (AP) The pieces of the puzzle that have been the Lakers' confounding season so far are starting to fall into place.

Kobe Bryant engineered a second-half comeback, the defense stepped up, and Los Angeles beat the New York Knicks 100-94 on Tuesday, extending its winning streak to five games.

"We're .500," a smiling Dwight Howard said. "We did it on Christmas, too. I knew this day would come."

Bryant scored 34 points in his NBA-record 15th Christmas Day game and Metta World Peace added 20 points and seven rebounds while defending Carmelo Anthony, whose 34 points led the Knicks. Anthony said he hyperextended his left knee, but expects to play on Wednesday in Phoenix.

Bryant, the league's leading scorer, has topped 30 or more points in nine straight games.

"If you're going to play on Christmas, it's always better to win. Makes it all worthwhile," said Bryant, who would soon hop a flight to Denver, getting there ahead of the Nuggets, who played the Clippers in the other half of the holiday doubleheader at Staples Center.

The Lakers improved to 14-14 - 9-9 under new coach Mike D'Antoni - and upped their holiday record to 21-18, including 13-9 at home. They returned to .500 for the first time since they were 8-8 on Nov. 30.

"It's so early in the season to have turned a corner," Bryant said. "We have everybody in the lineup and we're starting to see how we want to play."

The Knicks controlled most of the game behind Anthony and J.R. Smith, who had 24 points. But they struggled offensively in the fourth, when Anthony was limited to seven points and Smith had five as the Lakers' defense clamped down. World Peace fouled out with 1:58 to play and the Lakers ahead by four.

World Peace credited his defense on Anthony to "old-school basketball."

"I'm back in shape and it's a little tough to guard me," he said.

Steve Nash said: "This is what he's been doing all year. He gets his hands on a lot of balls, pounds on the other team's best guy. You can't win without that type of effort."

Smith's 3-pointer pulled New York to 96-94. After Pau Gasol made one of two free throws, Smith missed another 3 that would have tied the game at 97 with 32 seconds left.

"We missed a lot of easy shots, a lot of little chippers around the basket, shots that we normally make," Anthony said. "There were some plays that we thought should have went our way down the stretch, but for the most part, we fought. I'll take this effort any night. If we continue to play with this effort, we'll win a lot of games."

With Bryant double-teamed, Nash passed to Gasol, who dunked with 12 seconds to go, punctuating a win that sent Lakers fans, frustrated by the team's struggles and coaching change, home happy. The Lakers avenged a 116-107 loss in New York on Dec. 13.

A smiling Howard called Gasol's driving slam "a submarine dunk because he was very low to the ground."

Gasol responded, "I don't dunk as often as I used to so it felt good. I took it right down the lane and finished strong."

Nash had 16 points, 11 assists and six rebounds in his second game in nearly two months. He missed 24 straight games while recovering from a small fracture in his lower left leg. Howard had 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Gasol had 13 points and eight rebounds.

"It was an important win for us as we were a little bit desperate," Nash said. "We've gone through a lot since Mike Brown - new coach, new offense. It's been a difficult transition."

Bryant had eight of the Lakers' first 10 points to open the fourth during a run that provided their first lead since the opening quarter in a game matching the two teams that have played the most on Christmas Day.

They took the lead for good on Bryant's basket with 7:38 remaining. Anthony and Tyson Chandler were in foul trouble in the fourth, with Chandler fouling out late.

"They just were a little bit more aggressive," Anthony said. "Kobe got it going and Steve Nash hit some big shots down the stretch. When you have a guy like Nash doing that, it's kind of tough. Those guys know how to play. They've been waiting for Steve Nash to get back, so it's just a matter of then sticking it out until he did."

The Knicks opened the third on a 15-5 run, with Anthony setting up on the perimeter and hitting two 3-pointers as part of his 10 points that stretched their lead to 61-53. His jumper provided the Knicks' largest lead of the game, 69-60.

Bryant and Nash ignited the quiet atmosphere by leading a 17-9 run that drew the Lakers to 78-77 going into the fourth. They combined to score 15 points, although Bryant missed two free throws to end the third that would have given the Lakers their first lead since early in the game.

The Knicks' earlier roll dissolved in missed shots and a technical on Chandler for arguing a call.

"We were more determined, fought for everything," Nash said about the second half.

World Peace scored 16 points in the second quarter, including eight in a row, when the Lakers played catch-up most of the way. His 3-pointer gave the Lakers their first lead of the period with 1:10 remaining. Smith tied it up with a free throw before Nash's jumper sent the Lakers into halftime leading 51-49.

"We're playing really well together," World Peace said. "Kobe is really playing excellent now. He's still being aggressive on the offensive end, but he's giving everybody a chance to be aggressive. Pau is making strong, aggressive moves."

Bryant scored the Lakers' final nine points of the first quarter to give them a 25-23 lead. D'Antoni's plan of having Darius Morris guard Anthony didn't last long after he scored five of the Knicks' first seven points.

"I thought he'd get warmed up before he started firing," World Peace said.

NOTES: Bryant surpassed Oscar Robertson as the league's all-time Christmas Day scorer with 383 points. Robertson had 377. ... Knicks F/C Amare Stoudemire shot some before the game. He's been out all season after left knee surgery. "I'm not quite there yet, but I'm making progress," he said. "I've just got to stay patient and stay ready. We've been doing extremely intense work, as far as cardio." ... Knicks C Marcus Camby had four points and four rebounds in 8 minutes. He's been sidelined by a sore left foot and barely played this season. ... Asked about Bryant as an MVP candidate, D'Antoni said, "You can't put anybody MVP if you're below .500." ... In their only other Christmas Day meeting in 1963, the Lakers beat the Knicks 134-126 behind 47 points by Jerry West and 27 from Elgin Baylor. ... Nash said the gift bags in their lockers with the tag, "From Kobe Merry Xmas 2012" contained headphones. "Can't ever have enough," he said. ... The Lakers were all in white, while the Knicks were all in orange down to their socks in a color similar to Syracuse. ... Among the celebs holidaying at Staples Center were Rihanna and Chris Brown, Adam Levine, Samuel L. Jackson, George Lopez and Richard Lewis. Vanessa Bryant and her two young daughters sat courtside opposite the Lakers bench.

Notebook: Lakers 100, Knicks 94

Dan Arritt, for NBA.com
Posted Tue Dec 25, 2012 7:13 PM - Updated Tue Dec 25, 2012 7:13 PM

THE FACTS: The league's top two scorers, Carmelo Anthony of the Knicks and Kobe Bryant of the Lakers, matched each other point for point Tuesday afternoon, both finishing with a team-high 34. Two of the NBA's best defenders, Tyson Chandler of New York and Metta World Peace of L.A, didn't stop harassing the opposition until they both fouled out in the final minutes, and the most maligned player on the Lakers since Mike D'Antoni took over as coach last month, Pau Gasol, produced the biggest basket of the season, putting the final touches on a 100-94 victory at Staples Center

THE STAT: The Lakers have won a season-high five straight games, matching their longest winning streak from last season. They are back to .500 for the first time since they were 8-8, and improved to 2-0 since veteran point guard Steve Nash returned to the lineup after a 24-game absence because of a leg injury.

QUOTABLE: "I don't know if [Nash] is all of it, but he's maybe the last piece that makes it work. There are a lot of pieces that you have to have."
-- Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni

TURNING POINT: Gasol missed the second of two free throws with 41 seconds remaining to give the Nuggets a chance to tie the score with a 3-pointer. J.R. Smith, who sank a 3 on the previous trip down the floor to cut the deficit to two, missed from beyond the arc and Jodie Meeks secured the rebound. After burning two timouts, Nash inbounded the ball from under his basket to Gasol at the top of the 3-point line. Gasol, heavily criticized in the past for his soft play around the basket, dribbled into the open lane, rose up and threw down a two-handed dunk with 12 seconds left, securing the best win of the season for the Lakers.

HOT: Anthony and Bryant didn't disappoint in just the third Christmas Day matchup between the league's top two scorers. Anthony shot 13-for-23 from the floor, producing half of his points during the third quarter. Bryant opened up with 13 points in the first quarter and finished 14-for-24 from the field. Bryant, who became the league's all-time leading scorer on Christmas, has scored at least 30 points in nine consecutive games.

NOT: Knicks point guard Raymond Felton came up on the wrong end of his one-on-one matchup with Nash. He shot 5-for-19 and finished with 10 points and six assists, while Nash shot 7-for-12 and produced 16 points and 11 assists. With the Knicks leading by eight points with just over eight minutes remaining in the third quarter, Felton left the game after injuring his right pinkie finger. Felton returned a few minutes later with the finger wrapped, but missed his final four field-goal attempts in the third and three of four in the fourth, opening the door for L.A. to come back and win.

QUOTABLE II: "I thought that at the end of the third quarter, when we had things kind of under control, we didn't finish the quarter. They were able to cut it to one, and then the fourth quarter was pretty much in their favor."
-- Knicks coach Mike Woodson

GOOD MOVE: D'Antoni elected to start the game with Darius Morris guarding Anthony, despite giving up four inches in height. That experiment lasted about two minutes, as Anthony quickly set up in the post and scored five points while drawing two fouls on Morris. World Peace entered the game for Morris and held Anthony scoreless the rest of the quarter, then exploded for 16 of his 20 points in the second quarter. His energy on both ends of the floor excited the crowd and seemed to motivate his teammates.

BAD MOVE: World Peace got a little too aggressive while guarding Smith in the final minute of the first half. After taking a hard bump from Smith that knocked him back a few feet, World Peace slapped at the ball and was whistled for his third foul. World Peace started the second half in place of Morris, but his foul situation caused him to give Anthony more space on the perimeter and Anthony responded by scoring seven points in the first two minutes -- all from outside -- stretching New York's lead to 61-53.

QUOTABLE III: "Some things that stand out are the 16 points they scored in the fourth quarter. I thought the guys turned up the defense and it worked out"
-- Mike D'Antoni

NOTABLE: In order to match up better with Gasol, the Knicks started Kurt Thomas at power forward and moved Anthony to small forward. Thomas scored a team-high six points in the opening quarter but didn't take another shot while playing just six minutes the rest of the game. ... Knicks reserve guard Steve Novak was knocked down by an elbow to the jaw from World Peace while both battled for a rebound with 8:04 in the game. Novak, the team's best 3-point shooter, left the game and did not return. ... The Knicks entered the game leading the league in fewest turnovers at 10.8 a game. They didn't commit their first until World Peace stole ball from Anthony with 7:41 left in first half. New York finished with 10 turnovers.

UP NEXT: For the Lakers, Wednesday @ Denver, Friday vs. Portland, Tuesday vs. Philadelphia. For the Knicks, Wednesday @ Phoenix, Friday @ Sacramento, Tuesday vs. Portland.

• Knicks: Shumpert, Stoudemire
• Lakers: Blake, Johnson-Odom

• Knicks: Chandler
• Lakers: D'Antoni

• Lead Changes: 7
• Times Tied: 10

• Arena: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
• Officials: #9 Derrick Stafford, #47 Bennie Adams, #60 James Williams
• Attendance: 18997
• Duration: 2:48