Lakers player grades: L.A. loses to the Knicks in a grind-it-out affair

The Lakers suffered their third loss in their last four games when they got outmuscled and outhustled by the Knicks at home on Monday.

After a disappointing three-game road trip, the Los Angeles Lakers played their first game at Crypto.com Arena for the first time in nearly two weeks. There, they hosted the New York Knicks with an opportunity to improve on a 15-11 record and move up in the standings.

The Lakers struggled offensively in the first quarter, shooting just 37.0% from the field, while giving up 35 points, leading to them trailing by eight at the end of the period. But a 12-2 run in the final 3:04 of the second quarter gave them a 58-57 lead at halftime. The third quarter looked to be a nip-and-tuck affair until New York went on a spurt that gave it a 90-80 lead with 12 minutes to go.

Multiple times down the stretch, L.A. got to within one or two possessions, but it ultimately didn’t have enough muscle and lost 114-109.

Jalen Brunson ultimately buried the Lakers with 29 points, 11 of which came in the fourth quarter. But they contributed to their own demise by losing in the effort categories. They shot just 42.4% from the field and 31.7% from 3-point range, and their halfcourt offense looked stagnant and mechanical throughout. Los Angeles also allowed the Knicks to control the tempo, as it had just four fast-break points in the second half.

LeBron James and crew got outscored in the paint by 10 and were outrebounded by nine, while the Knicks had 10 more free throw attempts. That simply isn’t a formula for winning basketball games.