New York Knicks vs. Los Angeles Lakers Prediction, Preview, and Odds
“We talked about it, we didn’t like the way we started,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. "They’re a very explosive team. … we had a shot at the end but we fell short.”
Sacramento shot 52.4% from the floor, helping them to jump out to a 16-point lead heading into the half. New York cut the deficit to five, rallying in the third quarter, but could not pull out the victory. The Knicks shot 41.6% and it was at the line where this game was won, as Sacramento hit 24 of 32 shots while New York was 20 of 31. RJ Barrett led the way with 25 points but was just nine of 23 from the floor. Julius Randle had a double-double, 23 points, and 10 rebounds.
The Knicks have been a solid team at both ends of the floor this season, 10th in points allowed per game (112.5) and 13th in points for per game (115.3). However, this team does not shoot well, hitting 46.5% of their shots and they are 22nd in free-throw percentage (76.4%). Where the Knicks thrive is on the glass, as they are third in the league at 46.9 boards per contest.
No House Advantage: Bet on player over/unders VS THE HOUSE to 21x your bet OR play in PICK 'EM contests against other people! Click here to get a 1st deposit match up to $100 1st w/ promocode WandW!The Los Angeles Lakers (33-34, 33-33-1 ATS) earned their third straight win when they defeated the Toronto Raptors on Friday, 122-112. Los Angeles has won each of the three contests by at least eight points and are now in ninth in the Western Conference standings, 18-15 at home this season. The Lakers are 7-3 ATS in their last 10.“I know this from being here (before): The fans are ready to explode at a certain point in the game,” D’Angelo Russell said. “I just wanted to bring that energy and give them that. ... It shouldn't go unnoticed, because our fans are the first to put a battery in someone's back that has a little momentum, so why not do the right things, bring that positivity and embrace what our fans have to offer?”
Toronto took a 14-point lead in the third quarter, but Los Angeles rallied in the final frame, outscoring Toronto 37-22 to earn the win. The Lakers shot 56.3% overall and were a perfect 19-19 from the free-throw line. Russell finished with 28 points and added nine assists. Dennis Schroder came off the bench to score 23.
The Lakers have allowed 117.3 points per game this season, but have been much better in their last five, decreasing that number by eight points per contest. They are averaging 114.4 per game themselves, producing at least 112 points in four of their last five games.
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The last time these teams met, they combined for 252 points. It took an extra session to reach that point, but 228 points had been scored in regulation. The Knicks are not hitting 114 after playing on Saturday, likely hitting 108.
L.A. will be well rested and is playing very good defense of late. This is a team that has added some talent and should be able to hit near 122 in this game. They are hitting 46.8% of their shots over the last five games, including hitting 36.3% of their three-point attempts.
