The New York Knicks had a solid winning streak going since the hiring of Phil Jackson. However, that came to an end after a bad home loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now on a west coast road trip, the Knicks are hoping to get a win against the Los Angeles Lakers in order to catch the Atlanta Hawks for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.
The Knicks begin a five-game road trip in bad shape after blowing a 17-point lead to the Cavaliers in their 106-100 loss on Sunday. Carmelo Anthony put up 32 points and eight rebounds in the game, but missed all five shot attempts in the final moments of the game. The Knicks allowed the Cavaliers to shoot 60.9 percent overall while going 50.0 percent from beyond the arc. It was simply a failed opportunity for New York considering Atlanta had lost earlier in the day.
There are 12 games left for the Knicks to gain ground in the postseason race. Their final set of games could certainly help. On the road trip, the Knicks face three of the Western Conference's worst teams with the Lakers, Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings. The Knicks have not won in Los Angeles since 2007, but with how bad the Lakers are this year, it is possible that streak could end.
New York did get the only win against the Lakers this season. Pau Gasol put up 20 points and 13 rebounds against Anthony's 25 points. Gasol will not be active against the Knicks after being diagnosed with vertigo. Steve Nash is also listed as questionable, but that is to be expected. The Lakers are coming off a win against the Orlando Magic, but are giving up an average of 117.2 points per game on 49.2 percent shooting.
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