Cold-shooting Knicks fall to Lakers in L.A., second stop on 5-game road trip
OG Anunoby of the Knicks controls the ball against Jaxson Hayes of the Los Angeles Lakers in the first half at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday. Credit: Getty Images/Ronald Martinez
LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic had 35 points and eight rebounds, Austin Reaves added 25 points and the Los Angeles Lakers overcame LeBron James' injury absence to grind out a 110-97 victory over the Knicks on Sunday.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and 16 rebounds for the Knicks, who lost for just the second time in six games.
Rui Hachimura scored 13 points for the Lakers, who never trailed the surging Knicks in their fourth consecutive victory even while James missed his second straight game with a bruised left elbow and a left foot injury.
The Lakers slumped in the fourth quarter, managing just one basket in a 6 1/2-minute span down the stretch while New York cut its 23-point deficit to 10. But the Knicks couldn't hit enough shots to capitalize and committed eight turnovers in the fourth.
Luke Kennard made a three-pointer with 1:37 left before Doncic iced it on his fifth three-pointer with 1:05 left.
Jalen Brunson scored 10 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, but he Knicks couldn't overcome 8-for-34 shooting on three-point attempts in the second stop on its five-game trip, which began with an impressive win at Denver. Mikal Bridges went scoreless in 27 minutes.
The Lakers took a 19-point lead into the fourth quarter after a 20-8 run. Doncic, who hit an absurd fallaway three-pointer during the surge, had 28 points after scoring 44 in three quarters while beating Indiana two nights earlier.
