Game Preview: New York Knicks at Los Angeles Lakers, December 18, 2023

The Knicks (14-11) will conclude their Los Angeles visit for the season when they face off against the Lakers (15-11) at the Crypto.com Arena tonight. Since embarking on a road trip out West on December 13th to face the Jazz, the Knicks have won one of their last three games. They started the trip by losing a four-point nail-biter during the final minutes of the Utah game. Then this past Friday night the Knicks scored a season-high 139 points against Kevin Durant and Devin Booker’s Phoenix Suns. The scoring barrage came in large part to a historical performance by Jalen Bunson, who torched the Suns for 50 points while setting a new NBA record by becoming the first NBA player to score 50 or more points in a game while shooting 100% on at least eight 3-point attempts. Brunson was so hot, he went 12-12 from the field in the second half. Then on Saturday, the Knicks headed for their first of two games in three days at Crypto, where the Clippers handed them an embarrassing 144-122 point loss.

Anticipate another high-scoring matchup tonight. Over the past nine games the Knicks have broken the 110-point mark in each of those nine games, and over that span they held their opponents to under 100 points just once, back on November 28th. Throughout that same nine-game span the Knicks also gave up 110 or more points seven times and have also allowed 130 or more points during four of the last six outings. The scoring for both sides over the last six games has been so outrageous that when adding the cumulative scores up, the Knicks have scored 755 to their opponent’s 792 points. That averages out to 125 points per game for the Knicks and 132 for their opponents. Where has the defense gone in this league?

As a nostalgic nod to the past, particularly as a lifelong 90s Knicks fan, it’s interesting to note that the 1993-94 Knicks, known for their defensive prowess, exceeded the 120-point mark only once throughout that season. In stark contrast (no pun intended), they failed to surpass 100 points 43 times, which was a pure reflection of the more defensive-oriented era that stands in contrast to the current offensive fireworks explosions the league is experiencing now.

The Lakers enter tonight’s game on a less-than-ideal note, having suffered two defeats in their last three matchups. Since becoming the NBA’s first-ever In Season Tournament Champs, they’ve lost to the Mavericks by two points and then split a pair of games with the Spurs, which both took place in San Antonio.

Heading into tonight’s game the Knicks are favored by 4.5. That 4.5 could end up soaring if the Lakers do what the Lakers do best and mark their key players out. Since yesterday the Lakers have listed LeBron James (left-quad contusion), Anthony Davis (hip), and Christian Wood (non-Covid illness) all as questionable. DeAngelo Russell (migraine), and Jarred Vanderbilt are listed as probable. Gabe Vincent is already listed as out. Both Russell and Davis sat out during the Lakers Friday night game against San Antonio. LeBron rested during the Spurs-Lakers first matchup on December 13th. While it’s highly unlikely that all four players will be sidelined tonight, the game is poised for intriguing individual matchups, particularly from the perimeter. On the interior, Jericho Sims and Isaiah Hartenstein will face a formidable challenge if Anthony Davis is cleared to play.

Projected Starters

Los Angeles Lakers:

Your guess is as good as mine and expect further injury updates closer to game time.

New York Knicks:

• G- Jalen Brunson
• G- Donte DiVincenzo
• F- RJ Barrett
• F- Julius Randle
• C- Jericho Sims

Regardless of which players play tonight, this is still a once-a-year event that takes place in Hollywood between the league’s two most valuable franchises, and one of their most historic rivalries. Even if the game doesn’t bring out all the star players tonight, it’ll sure be a star-studded event from the sidelines. Maybe even a Jack sighting?

Game Details

Who: New York Knicks @ Los Angeles Lakers

When: 10:30 pm PST, Monday, December 18th

Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA

Watch: MSG Network

Follow: @ptknicksblog