The New York Knicks traveled to Los Angeles Thursday night to take on Derek Fisher’s longtime team, the Lakers, and they put a smile on their coach’s face.
Five Knicks were in double figures, all 10 players scored, they doled out 27 assists and only turned the ball over eight times, putting together an outstanding team victory, topping L.A. 101-94.
“They played as a team,” Coach Fish said of the victory. “It sounds easy to say, but it’s difficult to do. Players in this league are full of ego and confidence, and it’s hard to get everybody on the same page sometimes. But tonight, it seemed like they wanted to win this game as a unit. They played that way, everybody that touched the floor contributed for us. That’s what we’re trying to become, a team that plays together, defends together and wins together.”
Derek insisted that he didn’t want this game more than any other, and he also added that he didn’t take pleasure in sweeping his former squad 2-0 on the year. Tim Hardaway Jr., who was the star of the night for New York, said that Fish was the same old Fish before and after the win, but the Knicks, as a team, knew the importance of this contest.
“It was great to get a sweep for D-Fish against his old team,” Hardaway said. “We didn’t talk about it at all, we just knew that we had to come out here and play hard and let the game take care of itself. He’s just been the same, level head since he got here. It’s great to see. He’s won a lot of games, so he knows what it takes to win.”
After missing the last two contests, Hardaway made up for lost time, going off for a game-high 22 points. He went 8-of-14 from the field, 5-of-7 from beyond the arc and added three rebounds and a pair of assists. Afterward, Fish was glad to see Hardaway have a breakthrough night on both ends of the floor.
“Tim’s been really working hard all season at being a better defender. That takes energy, so his shooting has been really up and down. But tonight he was really good on both ends of the floor,” Derek explained. “It was great to have his energy and his shot making back out there. It was good to see. He brought a lot of good things for us tonight and we’re hoping he can carry that over to Saturday night.”
Hardaway did it all coming off the bench. Rookie Cleanthony Early joined him in double figures with 11, as the New York second unit combined for 49 points.
In the starting five, Andrea Bargnani joined that duo in double figures, tallying 16 points, including eight from the free throw line. Langston Galloway also had a solid night, going 5-of-7 from the floor for 12 points, while adding four assists. Alexey Shved continued his strong play, notching a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double, while also adding six dimes.
Shved and Galloway led the way with a combined 11 points in the first quarter, but the Knicks took control in the second.
Hardaway snapped from deep, going 4-of-4 from three for 12 points. Bargnani added nine to the cause, and Shved and Galloway combined for another nine. The Knicks shot 70.6 percent, including a perfect 5-of-5 from deep. They tallied 10 assists in the quarter and went to the break leading 60-54.
With the lead in their back pocket, the Knicks turned to defense in the second half. New York turned it up on that end of the floor, causing six third-quarter turnovers and holding the Lakers to 33.3 percent shooting to preserve the six-point cushion.
In the final frame, it was more of the same. The Knicks shot just 38.9 percent in the second half, but with the energy they brought on the defensive end, it didn’t matter. Los Angeles went just 8-of-23 in the fourth quarter, and Early and Hardaway combined for 10 points, each knocking down big buckets to salt the game away.
Afterward, Derek was asked about getting the 2-0 season sweep against his former team—the Knicks also won 92-80 in Madison Square Garden on Feb. 1. And rather than gloat in the victory, he empathized for what the Lakers are going through, saying that both franchises will work their way back to prominence.
“We’re both going through challenging times at the moment, and it feels good for us to get this win tonight,” Derek said. “But I love and respect Byron Scott, Kobe Bryant and this organization, so I’m not going to celebrate because we won a couple of games this year. This is about our future and where we’re trying to go.”
The L.A. franchise also showed love to Derek, who was a Laker for two stints and through five NBA championships. The fans at the Staples Center gave D-Fish a warm welcome, and when asked about that afterward, he took the time to send a message to the Knicks fanbase amid what has been a challenging season.
“I’m hopeful that Knicks fans will see that some people do like me,” Fish said with a smile. “If we can keep working hard and we can stay together, we can create some of our own special moments and special memories. Madison Square Garden and our fans are some of the best in the world, in all sports, so we know that we have an obligation to them to compete hard every night. That’s what we’re trying to do. We haven’t had a successful season, but we feel like we’re becoming successful because of the habits that we’re building and the culture we’re establishing. Anything great takes time.”
NEXT UP
After that road victory, the road only gets tougher for the Knicks (13-51), who will now head north to take on the NBA’s best team, the Golden State Warriors (51-12).
New York fell to Golden State 106-92 in February at Madison Square Garden, where MVP candidate Stephen Curry went for 22 points.
The Warriors hold the NBA’s best record and are currently on a five-game win streak. They notched their 51st victory of the season Wednesday night over the Detroit Pistons.
Before hosting Fish’s crew, they’ll have a Friday night meeting on the road against the Denver Nuggets, putting them on the second night of a back-to-back.
Tipoff for that contest is set for 10:30 p.m. ET from Oakland’s Oracle Arena.