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The Los Angeles Lakers made it back-to-back wins without Lonzo Ball, defeating the New York Knicks in a 127-107 matinee game. The one-two punch of Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson was in full effect, with the duo combining for 56 points to lead the way.
Clarkson was once again the star of the show, scoring at will while doing a great job distributing the ball. Jordan finished with a game-high 29 points with 10 assists for a double-double. Randle was aggressive on the glass, pulling down a team-high 12 rebounds to go with his 27 points (11-of-17 from the field). The Lakers’ longtime duo put it together to deliver a big win the team definitely needed before facing the Boston Celtics and the proceeding five-game road trip.
It was a transition lob from Randle to “Leaping” Larry Nance Jr. in the final minutes of the game that put the definitive exclamation point on an solid victory. Julius dished out a total of five dimes.
Brook Lopez had his shot going, draining four of his six three-point attempts. He was the only player in the starting lineup to connect on an outside shot. Brandon Ingram was back on the floor after missing two games, playing limited minutes (24). HE finished with 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting.
Tim Hardaway Jr., Michael Beasley and Porzinigis each scored 17 points, tied for team-highs. The best way to put how well this went for the Lakers? They had actual garbage time by the end of it, and Nigel Hayes made his debut for LA.
Two wins in a row is a solid accomplishment for a team missing its starting backcourt. Hopefully they bought both Lonzo and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope enough time to come back at 100 percent on Tuesday against the Celtics.