New York Knicks vs LA Lakers Prediction & Match Preview - February 5th, 2022 | NBA Season 2021-22
The New York Knicks visit the Crypto.com Arena to take on the LA Lakers for an exciting NBA game on Saturday.
The Knicks have been in dismal recent form, winning just twice in their last nine games. They are coming off a 108-120 loss against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Meanwhile, the Lakers haven't been playing well, either. They lost their last game 110-111 against the LA Clippers. Frank Vogel's side have failed to record consecutive wins since January 8th.
Match Details
Fixture: New York Knicks vs LA Lakers | 2021-22 NBA season.
Date & Time: Saturday, February 5; 8:30 PM ET (Sunday, February 6; 7:00 AM IST).
Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA.
New York Knicks Preview
The New York Knicks continue to struggle this season for form. Their star players have misfired big-time, while their role players have been inconsistent. Nevertheless, they had a lot of takeaways from their recent loss against the surging Grizzlies.
The Knicks trailed by double-digits for most of the match but trimmed the Grizzlies' lead to only five points early in the fourth quarter. But Memphis showed their resilience again to eventually extend their advantage and seal the win. Evan Fournier scored a team-high, shooting eight of 12 from beyond the arc.
points.Three straight buckets for @EvanFourmizz.
He's up to 2️⃣8️⃣ points. https://t.co/QwYo3ZuI3G
The New York Knicks did a decent job on the boards but failed to take care of the ball, committing 15 turnovers. The LA Lakers are one of the best teams in transition scoring, so the Knicks will have to make sure they put in a disciplined shift.
Key Player - Julius Randle
As per reports, Julius Randle's tenure with the New York Knicks could be coming to an end, but he continues to be a vital player for the side. Randle was key to leading the Knicks to the playoffs last year and will remain crucial to their hopes of getting to the postseason again if he doesn't move by the trade deadline.
Randle will likely be tasked with guarding Anthony Davis, who has been in terrific form of late. Davis has been the LA Lakers' best player over their last few matches, so limiting him could help the Knicks record a win.
New York Knicks Predicted Lineup
G - Kemba Walker | G - Evan Fournier | F - RJ Barrett | F - Julius Randle | C - Mitchell Robinson.
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LA Lakers Preview
The LA Lakers have lost nine of their last 13 games. Some of those have been close encounters, which could've ended up with the Lakers winning and having a better recent record.
Part of the reason behind those losses has been the Lakers' inability to execute their plans, especially defensively down the stretch. Their previous loss against the LA Clippers could be considered an example. Anthony Davis and Co. led by a point with 12 seconds left in the game but failed to stop Reggie Jackson from making a game-winning layup eight seconds later.
: @NBAonTNT)Leave it up there, AD will handle the rest.
(📺: @NBAonTNT) https://t.co/xdCF8LdEow
Davis tallied 30 points, 17 rebounds and two blocks for the LA Lakers, and was their best player again. The Lakers missed eight free throws on the night, another area they needed to work on to give themselves a better chance of winning tight games.
Key Player - Russell Westbrook
Anthony Davis has been in great form since returning from injury last week. The LA Lakers have missed the services of LeBron James during that stretch, though. In his absence, Russell Westbrook was expected to share the responsibility of helping the Lakers stay afloat along with Davis, but he has been inconsistent.
The LA Lakers need Westbrook to make an impact scoring-wise. He will also have to slow down his play on certain occasions to help the Lakers create better chances offensively.
LA Lakers Predicted Lineup
G - Russell Westbrook | G - Avery Bradley | F - Malik Monk | F - LeBron James | C - Anthony Davis.
Knicks vs Lakers Match Prediction
The New York Knicks and LA Lakers are in a similar spot, considering their recent form. The Lakers have found some consistency with their current lineup with Anthony Davis back. That has allowed them to compete with their opponents better than the first few games of the campaign. These factors, along with homecourt advantage, make the Lakers the favorites to win against New York, but only by a slender margin.
Where to watch Knicks vs Lakers
The game between the New York Knicks and LA Lakers will be nationally televised by ABC and locally by MSG and Spectrum SportsNet. Fans can also catch live action online via NBA League Pass.
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