The Los Angeles Lakers appeared better-adjusted in a second consecutive game without Lonzo Ball and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, as they defeated the New York Knicks, 127-107. Brandon Ingram had 10 points in his return, shaking off rust from time missed as the game wore on.
Tyler Ennis had his spots, particularly early, where he controlled the tempo well, but it was Alex Caruso who shined in running the offense. His nine points and seven assists both were good for career highs.
Coming off an all-around effort that included pouring in a season-high 33 points, Jordan Clarkson was again stellar for the Lakers. He turned in a game-high 29 points, doing so on an efficient 12-for-19 from the field.
Julius Randle was also key for the Lakers, scoring 27 points to go with 12 rebounds and four assists.
While the Lakers went into the half with a four-point lead, the Knicks came out firing. Their first five baskets were all from 3-point territory, which led to New York taking a lead.
But for as well as the Knicks fared from the floor, their defense allowed the Lakers to remain in the game. But that also was not without Luke Walton removing his entire starting unit less than three minutes into the second half.
A run during the final minutes of the third quarter helped the Lakers put some distance between themselves and the Knicks, and they never lost their lead over the final 12 minutes.
Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. each scored 17 points, while Courtney Lee had 16. Michael Beasley was in foul trouble for much of the game but still managed to contribute with 17 points off the bench.
After setting an NBA record for worst free-throw shooting percentage, the Lakers made a more manageable 15 of 21 attempts.
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