Clarkson, Randle Push Lakers to 20-Point Win Over Knicks
In their first seven games without Lonzo Ball, the Lakers lost every time. In their last two, they have won both.
A rookie, the 27th pick of the draft nonetheless, went toe-to-toe with one of the greatest scorers in the game — and won.
Kyle Kuzma poured in 28 points — including 17 in the fourth quarter alone — as he nudged the Lakers past Kyrie Irving and the rival Boston Celtics, 108-107.
Kuzma — whose fourth quarter was the highest scoring period by any Laker this season — had a simple explanation for what he saw out on the floor: “The rim.”
“I just felt like every time I touched it I was trying to score it,” he said. “I was in a good rhythm and they went in.”
#KuzControl in full effect as he shows off the footwork and floater (: TNT) pic.twitter.com/5JnS6GZ6pu — Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 24, 2018
Kuzma engaged in a battle of trash talk and buckets with Irving, who attacked the Lakers inside and out on his way to 33 points.
Irving was brilliant with a dozen points in the fourth, but Kuzma was even better, hitting six of his seven shots, including three straight 3-pointers.
“He was out there just not thinking about anything,” Julius Randle said. “Just playing hard, playing without a conscience. He was big time for us today.”
Irving hit a 3-pointer to cut the Lakers’ lead to two with just 2:32 remaining in the game, but Kuzma had an answer, cleaning up the offensive glass with a put-back basket.
Irving responded with a finger-roll layup before Randle grabbed one of his five offensive rebounds and stuffed a dunk.
But the Lakers (18-29) struggled to close out at the free throw line, shooting a miserable 7-of-17 in the fourth quarter and just 58.4 percent on the night.
After two misses by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the final seconds, Boston’s Marcus Smart was barely off on what would have been the game-winning triple.
Yet the Lakers held on, thanks largely to Kuzma and his five treys on the night.
The 22-year-old also flashed some fancy playmaking with two telepathic behind-the-back assists to Larry Nance Jr.
“We let a guy, Kuzma, get going,” Smart said. “And in this league when you let a guy get hype, it’s hard to contain, it’s hard to stop him. And he made every right play tonight.”
But with Irving cooking and Smart (22 points) having an unusually hot shooting night, L.A. needed more than just Kuzma to top the Celtics (31-14).
Defeating the best team in the Eastern Conference required some muscle from Randle, who bullied the Celtics’ bigs on his way to 14 points and 14 rebounds. He was crucial to the Lakers’ 23-7 advantage in second-chance points.
Plus, Jordan Clarkson lived in the paint, penetrating the Celtics’ defense for 22 points in L.A.’s sixth straight win at home — a victory made all the more special by the fact that the team celebrated its late owner, Dr. Jerry Buss, by rallying to beat its archrival.
“Kyrie is one of the premier players in our league, and when he gets going there’s not a lot you can do,” coach Luke Walton said. “But what I was looking for was us to take the fight to them, and I was very pleased with the way that we competed tonight.”
Kyle Kuzma caught fire in the fourth quarter where he scored 17 out of his 28 total points against Boston #LakersWin pic.twitter.com/F6fv4TeK3T — Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 24, 2018
Notes
Lonzo Ball (sore left knee) sat out his fifth straight game. … The Lakers scored 15 points in the first quarter, but 30-plus in the remaining three. … The Celtics shot only 10 free throws, making eight. … A sold-out crowd of 18,997 packed STAPLES Center.
Harry How/Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers aren't the only team in the Eastern Conference trending in the wrong direction.
The Boston Celtics dropped their fourth consecutive game Tuesday, this time falling to the Los Angeles Lakers 108-107 at Staples Center. Marcus Smart had the opportunity to win it with a jumper at the buzzer after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope missed two free throws, but his three-pointer rimmed out.
Kyle Kuzma led the way for the victors, taking over for stretches in the fourth quarter and tallying 28 points, four rebounds and three assists for Los Angeles, which has won three straight without the injured Lonzo Ball.
Boston got 33 points and four assists from Kyrie Irving, but it was to no avail, as it couldn't protect a double-digit lead on the road.
The Celtics likely would have rather had Irving take the final shot instead of Smart given the former's impressive performance and the 12 points he scored in the fourth quarter, but Smart had the hot hand for much of Tuesday's contest.
He drilled four of his 10 three-pointers on his way to 22 points, 15 of which came in the first half. He also dished out eight assists, taking advantage of openings when the Lakers closed on him. Smart also made two free throws with less than 20 seconds remaining to get Boston within one and help set up the dramatic finish.
Still, neither Smart nor Irving could match what Kuzma did down the stretch.
The rookie poured in 17 points in the fourth quarter alone, single-handedly providing much of the Los Angeles offense with the game hanging in the balance. The Lakers faced an 88-82 deficit with eight minutes remaining but had a 95-91 lead with five minutes left thanks to three triples, two free throws and an assist by Kuzma.
He was more than just a spark off the bench, using his size to shoot over smaller Celtics defenders and his athleticism to get past the likes of Al Horford or Marcus Morris in the paint when he attacked the rim.
It was the type of showing that figures to provide hope in Los Angeles despite what is shaping up to be another lost season, especially if Ball and Brandon Ingram—who shot just 2-of-11—continue to develop alongside him.
Kuzma even mixed in some style throughout the contest:
What made the performance even more impressive was the fact it came against a Boston team that is first in the league in defensive rating, per NBA.com.
It appeared as if the Celtics were going to ride that stifling defense to a win in the early going, as they held the Lakers to 15 points in the first quarter. Los Angeles was stationary for far too many possessions on the offensive end, which allowed Boston to set the tone and contest shots.
Kuzma and Jordan Clarkson changed the tempo off the bench, however, with the latter tallying 22 points, five rebounds and four assists. Their presence helped open up the offense, and Julius Randle (14 points, 14 rebounds) and others took advantage during an 18-3 run in the second and third quarters as the Lakers climbed back into the game.
From there, Kuzma and Irving did much of the heavy lifting.
The Lakers will look to keep rolling Friday when they start a five-game road trip at the Chicago Bulls. The Celtics will attempt to turn things around in Los Angeles against the Clippers on Wednesday.
5. Nance, and others, are being coy about their participation in the slam dunk contest. While Nance was at shoot-around, a report surfaced that he was among the players who had accepted an invitation to the slam dunk contest. When Walton finished his post-shoot-around news conference, Nance called to him, in a joking manner, "Luke, there's no confirmation of that!" He seemed to think Walton had spilled the beans. Later, Nance appeared to refute the report, which said he accepted a position in the contest, by conjuring President Trump's favorite phrase and calling it "fake news." (Dennis Smith Jr. attempted a denial too, likely in an effort to allow the league to announce the contest on their own.) Nance, of course, is an obvious choice for the contest. His father won the first-ever dunk contest and were it not for injuries, he might have been in it already. This year, he'd have a chance to compete in the contest in his home arena.
