Phil Jackson’s first visit to Staples Center as an employee of the New York Knicks ended up being a nightmare he’d probably like to forget. The Knicks surrendered 51 points to the Lakers in the third quarter — franchise records for most points given up in a quarter and most points scored in a quarter, respectively. That’s right, the 2013-14 Lakers, featuring a starting lineup of Jordan Hill, Wesley Johnson, Chris Kaman, Kendall Marshall and Jodie Meeks, pounded the visiting Knicks 127-96. However, most of the damage actually came from the Lakers’ bench, which put up 82 points on the night.
One of those bench players was Nick Young, who shot 5-of-6 from three-point range, including a league-leading sixth four-point play this season. The one missed three? This rim-out which Swaggy P thought was golden. Can’t really blame him, though, as pretty much everything was going in for the Lakers Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, the Knicks, who had recently won eight games in a row — albeit mostly against non-playoff teams — have now lost two straight, and trail Atlanta by three games for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. And, for those keeping track at home, the Knicks are now 29-42. The current ninth seed in the Western Conference is the Phoenix Suns, who are 42-29. In a related story, there is no god.
About John Ferensen