The NY Knicks and LA Lakers are playing live on the NBA schedule on Thursday night and two of the worst teams in the league matchup in Los Angeles at the Staples Center and it starts at 10:30 pm ET as New York visits with Derek Fisher and it comes as both are hoping to finish at the top of the lottery in the draft this year.
The Knicks come in after a loss to the Jazz and they have been struggling all season but that's the way they want it. The team has 12 wins and the Lakers have 17 and they are meeting as both proud franchises are down in the dumps. Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony each signed major contracts in recent years, but both players are not healthy for this game.
The Knicks will continue their road trip with the Golden State Warriors on Saturday and they come in ranked 29th in the league in scoring this season. The team is 29th in rebounds per game and they are allowing over 101 points per game. The Lakers are 17-45 this season and they come in after a win against the Detroit Pistons and they will next play against the Atlanta Hawks after playing the Knicks.
This is the first matchup for Derek Fisher against the Lakers on the road and that makes this at least a bit sad for him, as both his teams are in the dumps. The Knicks have lost five in a row and they have not won on the road here in seven games and they are hoping to snap it now. Fisher has had a tough season in his first year as head coach, but that is just as much about the makeup of the team compared to how he is doing in his job.
Byron Scott is having a tough year and both coaches are looking to turn their franchises around. The Knicks and Lakers both will be chasing the same free agents and that will make the summer interesting as well. The Knicks have not won a game on the road against the west this season and they are averaging just 82 points during this recent streak. Alexey Shved comes in playing fairly well overall, putting in 21 points in the last matchup and he has been a solid pickup for the team.
The Lakers were coming in with a five game losing streak before winning against the Pistons and now they are looking for two in a row. The Knicks beat the Lakers at home in February and that matchup saw Anthony score 31 points while he was still healthy sort of and the team has won just twice since winning that game.
