LA Lakers vs New York Knicks Prediction & Match Preview - April 12th, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
The LA Lakers will look to continue their winning ways in the 2020-21 NBA when they face the New York Knicks on Monday at the Madison Square Garden. The Purple and Gold will hope to sweep the two New York-based teams in back-to-back games when they face Julius Randle and company to start the week.
In a nationally televised game on Saturday, the LA Lakers routed the Brooklyn Nets 126-101 despite missing LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma and Marc Gasol. Dennis Schroder, who was ejected along with the Nets’ Kyrie Irving in the third quarter, called it the LA Lakers' 'best win of the year'.
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks have struggled in the past few weeks but were able to stop the bleeding with a pair of wins. On Sunday, they escaped with a thrilling 102-96 win against the Toronto Raptors after they led by 18 points. That was the Knicks’ first win in ten attempts against the Raptors. The Knicks’ last win against the 2019 champions came in 2017.
Match Details
Fixture - LA Lakers vs New York Knicks | 2020-21 NBA Season.
Date & Time - Monday, April 12th; 7:30 PM ET (Tuesday, April 13th; 5:00 AM IST).
Venue - Madison Square Garden, New York, NY.
LA Lakers Preview
In their last seven games, the LA Lakers have alternated between wins and losses but will hope to snap that trend against the New York Knicks. Coach Frank Vogel would want his team to continue from the Brooklyn Nets team with another victory on Monday.
Facing a team that featured All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, the LA Lakers came out aggressively and made their opponents play catch up. That’s the type of mentality they would like to have on Monday against the New York Knicks as well.
Schroder will have to keep his composure in check if he wants to continue contributing to the LA Lakers' success, while Andre Drummond will have to be dominant in the paint once again.
Key Player - Andre Drummond
One of the biggest performers in the LA Lakers’ last game was Andre Drummond, who had 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field and 11 rebounds.
Playing in just his third game of the season for the LA Lakers, Drummond had his first 20-10 game and will hope for more of the season as the regular season draws to a close.
Drummond will go up against the New York Knicks’ Nerlens Noel, who is one of the better defenders at the center position. The LA Lakers big man will have to be smarter in offense if he wishes to win his matchup with Noel.
LA Lakers Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Dennis Schroder l Shooting Guard - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope l Small Forward - Kyle Kuzma l Power Forward - Markieff Morris l Center - Andre Drummond.
New York Knicks Preview
The New York Knicks had lost five of their last six games before winning their last two. Their recent victories brought them back to .500 on the season (27-27), good enough for eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings.
Surprisingly, they are just a game behind the three teams in the fifth to seventh spots, making the next few games crucial to their playoff hopes. The New York Knicks would rather avoid the play-in tournament, but they have to fare better than playing .500 basketball.
Their game against the LA Lakers will be the last of their three-game homestand before they take a short two-game road trip.
Key Player - Julius Randle
The New York Knicks are only competitive as long as Julius Randle performs at a high level. That’s a huge burden to have, but that’s what makes Randle an All-Star player.
Against the Raptors, the veteran forward scored 26 points but shot just 7 of 19 from the field and one of eight from the three.
Nevertheless, he did enough to secure the win for the New York Knicks, but he has to be ready for defenses closing in on him, with the playoffs fast approaching. The LA Lakers, his former team, will have Markieff Morris trying to bottle up Randle.
Averaging 22.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game, Randle will be the focal point of the LA Lakers’ vaunted defense, so his New York Knicks teammates will have to be ready to step in and help.
New York Knicks Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Elfrid Payton l Shooting Guard - RJ Barrett l Small Forward - Reggie Bullock l Power Forward - Julius Randle l Center - Nerlens Noel.
Lakers vs Knicks Match Prediction
Kyle Kuzma could make his return to the LA Lakers lineup on Monday. He will be an important piece to consider for the New York Knicks, who will be playing on back-to-back nights.
The LA Lakers (1st) and New York Knicks (4th) are among the best defensive teams in the league this season. However, they are also among the worst offensive squads (19th and 21st, respectively) in the league, so a low-scoring game could ensue. In the end, it might come down to which team performs well in the clutch.
Though the New York Knicks are playing well, they could be tired after having to stave off the Toronto Raptors’ late rally on Sunday, making this a game the LA Lakers will fancy winning.
Where to watch the LA Lakers vs New York Knicks game?
The LA Lakers vs New York Knicks game will be shown on local television by Spectrum SportsNet and MSG. The match can also be streamed live with an NBA League Pass.
Also Read: 5 NBA teams that have a realistic shot at dethroning LA Lakers in the playoffs | NBA season 2020-21.