How It Happened: The Knicks and Lakers engaged in a high-octane offensive battle in Los Angeles on Sunday night. Both teams traded leads and runs throughout the first half but the end of the third and fourth quarters ultimately led to the final outcome. New York closed the third frame on a 12-0 run to take a nine-point lead into the final stanza. Courtney Lee caught fire in the period with nine points, all on shots from long distance. Kristaps Porzingis was spectacular in the quarter as well, scoring eight points and snatching four boards. In quick fashion, the young Lakers answered with a 12-2 spurt to open the fourth quarter and they cut the advantage to just one point. Compton native, Brandon Jennings erupted in the period by scoring 15 of his 19 points and drilling three treys in dazzling fashion. As the Knicks attempted to hold off another run from the home team, Derrick Rose delivered a clutch bucket in the paint to put the game out of reach and hand New York a 118-112 victory. The Knicks improved to 14-10 overall while moving up to the fourth spot in the latest Eastern Conference standings.
Knick of the Night: Rose returned to the lineup after missing two games and had no issues in scoring 25 points in the win. At one point, Rose was 7-of-7 from the floor and finished 12-of-16 in 33 minutes of court time. Throughout a majority of the contest, Rose dictated the offensive play for the road team en route to a stellar performance.
Notables: Porzingis finished as the Knicks leading scorer with 26 points (8-15 FG), 12 rebounds, and seven blocks. Jennings added 19 off the pine, Lee scored 16, and Willy Hernangomez ripped down 12 rebounds.
News and Notes: Kyle O’Quinn was sidelined tonight with a sprained ankle that was suffered in the game against Sacramento on Friday night.
Statistically Speaking: Several statistics jump off the page in tonight’s win. New York only committed 11 turnovers, registered 21 assists, and the team hit 45 percent on 22 attempts from downtown.
Next Up: The Knicks will jump on a plane to Phoenix directly after the game as the road trip continues to the third city. On Tuesday night, New York faces the Suns at 9 PM on MSG Network.