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The Spurs rode another dominant performance from Victor Wembanyama to put away the Houston Rockets by throwing multiple defenders at Kevin Durant and surviving what every other player could throw at them. The Spurs led by as much as 27 halfway though the third, but the Rockets turned the game into a parade to the stripe as they upped the physicality and made the game ugly. They couldn’t make it ugly enough for them to win, though, and the Spurs kept the Space City Cowboys at arm’s length throughout the fourth quarter and Udoka waved the white flag when the Spurs led by 20 with three and a half minutes left. The Spurs bench led by Harper and Keldon Johnson helped the Spurs dominate the minutes that Durant sat on the bench and turned the game into another impressive win for the Silver and Black.

Observations

• I usually watch the FanDuel feed for Spurs game, but tonight they weren’t available. I th0ught the Peacock crew was pretty good, although I have no clue why Reggie Miller still can’t pronounce Victor Wembanyama’s last name correctly. It’s been almost three years, man. He corrected himself late in the first quarter, so and I actually heard his say Wembanyama once instead of WembanyaNa, so maybe he can learn.
• Roundball rock (the NBC/Peacock basketball theme) is cool, but maybe after 30+ years, you don’t need to play it every three minutes.
• Both teams are on a THIGAFONI tonight, so there’s no rest advantage on either side.
• Victor scored the first 8 points for the Spurs, and four different Spurs scored the next 10, as Wembanyama’s gravity gave the Spurs shooters lots of room as they took an early 18-9 lead.
• Both Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie are masters at drawing fouls on three point shots. I wonder if that’s something that the Spurs staff coaches them to do.
• The Spurs put Carter Bryant on Kevin Durant midway through the first quarter, which was sort of effective, as it forced him to pass the ball, but losing Dorian Finney-Smith probably wasn’t a good idea, as that guy can be counted on to hit open shots.
• The Rockets led 33-32 at the end of the first quarter as the Spurs couldn’t hold Durant in check.
• The Silver and Black started off hot in the second quarter as they ran out to a 50-39 lead, hitting their first seven shots of the quarter.
• The Spurs have so many stars, sometimes it’s hard to notice that Dylan Harper is having an incredible rookie season. He led the team in scoring in the first half with 17 coming off of the bench. His game is so smooth, sometime you don’t even notice how well he’s playing.
• Wemby hit a buzzer beater triple and the Spurs led 69-57 at the half. He scored the first and last points for the Spurs in the half on good looking three point shots.
• The Spurs took over to start the third quarter as they pushed the lead to over 20 as they dominated the Rockets on both end of the court, capped by a Wemby breakaway dunk over four Houston defenders.
• The Spurs stretched the lead to 27, but eventually Victor had to sit, and while Luke Kornet is a good NBA player, he’s going to suffer in comparison to Victor, as any player would, and the Rockets cut the lead to 15 with 2 minutes left. The Spurs led 110-94 after three. Luke Kornet redeemed himself somewhat in the fourth by drawing two offensive fouls on Sengun.
• The Rockets were committed to make it a game as the fourth quarter began, blocking Carter Bryant and getting Steph Castle’s fifth foul on a Jabari Smith and-one to start the frame.
• Capela is still an elite rim defender, as he turned away a series of shots from the Spurs to start the fourth quarter, keeping the Rockets in the game during the minutes that Durant had to sit.
• The Spurs outlasted the Rockets’ fourth quarter surgelet and led by 20 with three and a half minutes left in the game, and both teams accepted their fate and put in the end of the benches, as the Spurs extended the lead and won 145-120. It was fun watching guys like Jordan McLaughlin hit their shots as the Spurs put the game away.

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The Spurs continue their home stand on Tuesday against the Boston Celtics, who are rounding into form late in the season with the return of Jayson Tatum from Achilles surgery. The team was already a threat to go far in the playoffs without him, and with him, I wouldn’t bet against them taking over the top spot in the Eastern Conference, even though there are no more head to head games left between the Pistons and Celtics in the regular season. The Spurs have been terrific against top teams this season, and Tuesday will be another chance to prove that they can beat top-level competition.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Lakers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

There are three things in this life that are certain: death, taxes and the Western Conference playoff race being as tight as possible.

Once again, teams are bunched up together in the standings with the difference between the No. 3 seed and the No. 7 seed being just three-and-a-half games.

The Lakers are right in the middle of this congestion, at the sixth spot. With LA having 18 games left, they could just as easily rise in the standings as they can fall into a play-in spot.

For our SB Nation Reacts survey this week, we asked fans where the Lakers will finish in the playoff race. The results are in, and the majority of fans have the purple and gold ending the season as the fifth- or sixth-seed.

It makes sense that LA will likely stay where they are or move up marginally. According to Tankathon, the Lakers have the ninth-toughest remaining schedule, and all the teams they are competing against for a playoff spot have easier schedules, bar the Nuggets.

While 18 games is a lot of action left, the only way the Lakers move up to the No. 4 spot or better is by beating a bunch of teams with elite records. So far, they haven’t shown they can consistently do that, going 5-12 against teams with a .600 winning percentage or better.

However, if you are optimistic that a healthy Lakers team can begin besting these teams, then a higher seed is possible. Based on our poll, 36% of fans think that’s what’s going to happen in the coming weeks.

While moving up is tough, dropping down to the play-in is even less likely. Currently, only the Suns have a realistic chance of taking the No. 6 seed from the Lakers. With Dillon Brooks missing games and Phoenix going 5-5 over their last 10 games, they aren’t winning enough to gain ground in the West.

And that’s why only 11% of fans think the Lakers are play-in bound.

The good news for LA is that they still control their destiny. If they win their head-to-head games against key opponents, they’ll own the tiebreakers they might need at the end, and a good winning streak could make a top seed not only probable, but inevitable.

It’ll be up to them to show what kind of team they truly are now that every game has a bit more at stake.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

The Milwaukee Bucks lost 130-91 to the Orlando Magic on the second night of a back-to-back for the home team, who played shorthanded without Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Porter, Jr. Bobby Portis led the Bucks’ attack with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Paolo Banchero cooked the Bucks with a game-high 33 points for the Magic.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap

The first quarter saw the Bucks’ limited offensive options on full display. The Magic jumped out to a 7-0 start and largely held serve as both teams shot poorly and generally showed limited interest in playing an NBA basketball game. After one, it was Magic 25, Bucks 15.

Quarter Two presented the fans with the illusion that this would be a game worth staying past halftime for. The teams both found their offensive rhythm after the doldrums of the opening frame. An entertaining, back-and-forth affair it was. Of note, Ousmane Dieng connected with Jerico Sims on four highlight dunks, and Bobby Portis poured in most of his team-high 18 points. The Bucks had no answer for Paolo Banchero, who headed to the locker room with 26 points on near-perfect shooting. Orlando led 67-55 at half.

The Bucks forgot to show up for the third quarter again, allowing the Magic to stretch a 12-point halftime lead into a 30-point beatdown as the matchup limped to the final frame. The quarter started with a 16-3 Magic run and largely continued in that vein. Bucks turnovers became uncontested dunks, or three-pointers, for the Magic. The rout was on, and the home team needed their crying towels. Orlando was ahead 100-70 entering the final period.

Among the few remaining people in Fiserv Forum, Thanassis Antetokounmpo entered the game with 9:22 left. He provided an emotional lift to the 17 remaining fans.

Stat That Stood Out

46.2%. That’s the Bucks’ free-throw shooting percentage. On a night that saw the team find many ways to embarrass themselves, this one was particularly brutal.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Paolo Banchero scored 33 points and the Orlando Magic cruised to a 130-91 win Sunday night over the Milwaukee Bucks, who rested Giannis Antetokounmpo in the second game of a back-to-back.

Jalen Suggs added 20 points and Desmond Bane had 18 for the Magic, who won their fourth straight to remain sixth in the Eastern Conference, one game behind fifth-place Toronto and percentage points ahead of Miami.

Orlando never trailed and led 67-55 at halftime. Early in the fourth quarter, Suggs hit a 3-pointer to start a 12-0 run that extended the Magic's lead to 26 points. Banchero headed to the bench for good late in the third with Orlando ahead by 31.

Bobby Portis had 18 points and 10 rebounds and Cam Thomas scored 17 for the Bucks, who beat Utah on Saturday night but have lost five of six.

Antetokounmpo has played in three games since he missed 15 with a right calf strain. The 31-year-old has sat out 30 games this season, by far the most of his 13-year career.

The Bucks are 11th in the East, 4 1/2 games behind 10th-place Charlotte, and face a difficult path just to reach the play-in tournament with 19 games left.

Milwaukee was also missing second-leading scorer Kevin Porter Jr. for a third straight game because of swelling in his right knee.

Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Giannis' little-used older brother, played a season-high 9 minutes and finished with four points.

Up next

Magic: Host Cleveland on Wednesday.

Bucks: Host Phoenix on Tuesday.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

VANCOUVER (AP) — South Africa has joined Fiji atop the World Rugby Sevens Series men's standings after beating Spain 38-12 on Sunday in the final of the Vancouver Sevens.

Player of the Tournament Tristan Leyds provided a series of try assists in the first half which allowed South Africa to take control of the final before halftime. It went on to win its 47th World Series tournament title while Spain remains without a title after three finals appearances.

Jorja Miller inspired New Zealand to a 24-17 win over Australia in the women's final, it's fifth-straight win in Vancouver and it's third win in five tournaments this season.

Australia rallied from 17-5 down just after halftime to level the match at 17-17 but New Zealand secured possession at the restart and Alena Saili scored the match-winning try.

New Zealand leads Australia by six points in the season standings with one tournament remaining in New York before the season finals. Australia and New Zealand have met in all five women's finals this season with New Zealand winning three and Australia two.

Spain's strong showing

Spain reached its first men's final of the season after an outstanding tournament in which it beat New Zealand in pool play and two-time Olympic champion Fiji in the semifinals.

But it struggled against South Africa's physical style in the final. Leyds played a key role with assists which led to tries by Sebastian Jobb and Shilton van Wyk as South Africa led 17-0 by halftime. Ryan Oothuizen opened the scoring for South Africa.

Van Wyk's second try put South Africa in control at 24-0 and after tries for Spain by Jeremy Trevithick and Anton Legorburu Impi, Visser closed out the match for the South Africans.

“It's an amazing feeling,” Visser said. “It's such a privilege to play in finals and pull the jersey over our heads.

“Sometimes we take it for granted but it's really an amazing feeling and we're just really grateful for it. We have to keep on this momentum next week in New York.”

Miller leads New Zealand's charge

Miller was hugely influential in the women's final, winning turnovers as New Zealand pressured Australia on defense.

Jaymie Kolosi scored New Zealand's first try and Miller scored the second before a try for Australia to Maddison Levi made the score 12-5 at halftime.

Katelyn Vahaakolo scored from a break by Miller, expanding New Zealand's lead to 17-5 in the first minute of the second half.

Australia then began to find gaps in the New Zealand defense through which Levi slipped to score her second try. MacKenzie Davie came off the bench to score the try that leveled the scores.

New Zealand captain Risi Pouri Lane made space for Waaka who set up the winning try for Saili.

“I think when we've got a team that plays for more than just themselves there's always a greater purpose to it,” Pouri Lane said. “Cultural connection is a great part of it and when we work so hard to have a genuine connection off the field it does pay off on the field.”

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AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

While it wasn’t necessarily a direct indicator of potential playoff success, the Lakers’ inability to beat “good” teams was a growing concern and trend.

Regardless of whatever metric or arbitrary line in the sand you wanted to draw, the Lakers were not beating the best teams in the league. As the postseason ticked closer and closer, it became a harder fact to ignore.

One win over the Knicks doesn’t change anything in and of itself, but it’s a start. With a whole lot of opportunities coming up to beat more good teams, Sunday was at least a start in the right direction.

So, let’s dive into the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

Marcus Smart

29 minutes, 5 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 1-10 FG, 0-5 3PT, 3-4 FT, +27

This is one of the all-time Marcus Smart performances. It was chaotic, good, bad and impactful. And yet, he finished with a game-high plus-minus of +27.

His fourth quarter featured repeated missed 3-pointers, yet he kept following that up with a big defensive play on the other end. Peak Marcus Smart.

Grade: B+

Rui Hachimura

37 minutes 13 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 turnover, 5-11 FG, 3-8 3PT, +5

Rui started this game out red hot, hitting his first four shots. Clearly, he tailed off the rest of the game offensively, but it was still a strong start that got the Lakers going early. Plus, seven rebounds from Rui is like 14 rebounds from a traditional power forward.

Grade: B

Deandre Ayton

20 minutes, 6 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 fouls, 3-4 FG, +3

This was actually a strong Ayton game, particularly defensively. It felt like he was defending Karl-Anthony Towns really well on top of knowing the gameplan. The Lakers went with three bigs in this game, but I think that could be the plan moving forward regardless of how well one of them plays.

Grade: A-

Austin Reaves

39 minutes, 25 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 8-16 FG, 3-6 3PT, 6-7 FT, +5

Welcome back, Austin Reaves. To say he was due for this would be an understatement, but it couldn’t have come at a better time. He was knocking down threes and getting to the rim, but the surest sign that he was back is that he was foul grifting at a high level again.

Grade: A

Luka Dončić

38 minutes, 35 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 6 turnovers, 3 fouls, 11-25 FG, 5-16 3PT, 8-10 FT, +14

What Luka lacked in efficiency, he made up for everywhere else. His shotmaking at multiple times in this one was outstanding, highlighted by his three while falling out of bounds.

Off of one leg
at the buzzer
& falling into the crowd

Luka Dončić pic.twitter.com/O04Us304an

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 8, 2026

He also made a number of plays defensively, ranging from ones you can count with stats like steals or ones you can’t, like contesting shots or forcing turnovers.

Grade: A

Luke Kennard

27 minutes, 12 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 4-8 FG, 3-7 3PT, 1-1 FT, +0

It remains impressive how quickly Luke has not just fit into this team but excelled. He is closing games and his ability to space the floor opens up so much for Luka, Austin and Jaxson Hayes. He’s exactly what this team needed and has been a great addition.

Grade: B+

Jaxson Hayes

17 minutes, 5 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 0-3 FG, 5-6 FT, +8

It’s surprising that Hayes did not make a field goal in this game because it felt like an impactful performance. He was battling on the glass and fighting defensively. And, again, it was the right call to have him close the game.

Grade: B+

Jake LaRavia

13 minutes, 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 2-2 FG, 2-2 FT, +8

While Jake still is lacking in the offensive production, he’s making up for it with his hustle. He came up with a trio of big offensive rebounds, two of those in the fourth. If he’s make hustle plays, you can look past some of his shortcomings right now as a scorer.

Grade: B+

Jarred Vanderbilt

10 minutes, 3 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 fouls, 1-2 FG, 1-2 3PT, -4

A real Vando special in this one as the Lakers got both a corner three and a block at the rim from him. But he also got confused on a defensive assignment which led to him fouling KAT for an and-one, which might be a little peak into why his playing time has gone down.

Grade: C

Maxi Kleber

10 minutes, 1 steal, 2 fouls, -1

Pour one out for Maxi Kleber’s nose, which took a walloping from KAT. Somehow, it was Kleber’s nose who fouled KAT on that play, too.

Grade: C

JJ Redick

The Lakers came out ready to go from the jump in this one. More impressively given their track record, they put the game to bed, really, in the third quarter. They never let go of the rope in the fourth as New York made a small run and closed it out without much cause for concern.

Grade: A

Sunday’s DNPs: Kobe Bufkin, Dalton Knecht, Drew Timme

Sunday’s inactives: Nick Smith Jr., LeBron James, Bronny James, Adou Thiero, Chris Mañon

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

The Mavericks got smoked Sunday night again, losing 122-92 to the Toronto Raptors. The Mavericks were led by Cooper Flaggs ‘ 17-point, eight-rebound, six-assist, one-turnover game, and a dominant 21 and 10 rebound double-double by Daniel Gafford on 10-for-10 shooting. The Raptors pulled the Mavericks apart, with eight of their players finishing with double digits. The best game of their night was had by RJ Barrett, who had 31 points on just six missed shots on 19 attempts. Scottie Barnes also had 17 points while keeping Cooper Flagg in check for the good part of the first half, before the Raptors ended the game entirely by halftime.

Dallas struggled to find an offensive rhythm for most of the first half as Toronto steadily built control of the game. The Mavericks leaned heavily on Daniel Gafford early, who kept them afloat by going a perfect 6-for-6 from the field for 13 points while adding 6 rebounds, finishing lobs, and cleaning up misses while the rest of the offense sputtered. Cooper Flagg still impacted the game despite the scoring struggles, collecting 4 assists and 3 blocks in the half, while Naji Marshall provided a brief spark with a few early baskets. Outside of those contributions, Dallas’ perimeter shooting was the Mavericks’ problem, as the Mavericks shot just 2-of-14 from three and 40.5 percent overall in the half. Toronto took advantage by moving the ball well and consistently generating good looks, piling up 18 assists while getting strong scoring performances from Gradey Dick (16 points) along with steady downhill pressure from RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes. The Raptors’ length and activity also disrupt Dallas’s possessions in the second, allowing them to gradually push the margin into double digits. By halftime, Toronto led 57–44, thanks to its shooting advantage and Dallas’ cold three-point shooting.

The second half never really turned into much of a game as Toronto maintained firm control from start to finish. The Raptors quickly pushed the lead deeper into double digits early in the third quarter behind steady scoring from RJ Barrett and interior finishes from Jakob Poeltl. At the same time, Dallas struggled to generate any consistent offense outside of Daniel Gafford’s finishes and the occasional Daniel Gafford finishes and occasional shots from Cooper Flagg and Khris Middleton. Toronto’s ball movement continued to carve up the Mavericks’ defense, eventually finishing the Mavericks’ night with 39 assists on 48 made field goals, while Barrett poured in 31 points to lead the way. Dallas briefly showed life with a few Flagg buckets and a couple of Gafford dunks, but the Raptors consistently answered with threes, transition layups, and second-chance opportunities. By the time the fourth quarter arrived, the game had essentially shifted into garbage-time rotations, with both teams emptying the bench over the final minutes. Toronto ultimately cruised the rest of the way to a 122–92 win, outshooting Dallas 50.5% to 39.8% while dominating the flow of the game for the entire second half.

1: Made Max Christie Shot

Max Christie had one of the roughest performances of the Mavericks’ season in this loss; it’s impossible to ignore how much it hurt the offense. In 25 minutes, Christie went just 1-for-11 from the field (9.1%) and 0-for-7 from three, finishing with only 2 points while somehow committing more turnovers (2) than both made shots (1) and assists (1). The struggles were not just missed jumpers, either. Dallas desperately needed guard creation with the offense already sputtering, and Christie repeatedly stalled possessions with forced pull-ups, empty drives, and careless mistakes. When your starting guard logs heavy minutes and produces little efficiency or playmaking, the offense has nowhere to go. The Mavericks finished the night shooting 39.8% from the field and just 5-for-30 from three, and Christie’s brutal shooting night is part of why the offense never found rhythm.

The bigger concern is that this was not some random off-night. Christie has been trending downward for several games now. Over the past week, he has bounced between inefficient shooting nights and low-impact stat lines, including a 4-for-15 night against Charlotte, 2-for-6 against Orlando, and several games hovering around the low teens in scoring with inconsistent playmaking. For a guard expected to stabilize the offense, the assist-to-turnover numbers have been particularly frustrating, and the shooting volatility makes it even harder to justify the minutes. At some point, Dallas has to be honest about roster priorities around Cooper Flagg, and that likely means emphasizing guards who can reliably create offense and space the floor. If this stretch is any indication, Christie is starting to look very expendable heading into the offseason, especially for a team that desperately needs better guard play and offensive stability.

0: Daniel Gafford Missed Shots

Daniel Gafford was one of the few Mavericks who actually showed up in this one, turning in one of his best performances in weeks. Gafford finished a perfect 10-for-10 from the field for 21 points, adding 11 rebounds, three assists, and a block in just over 23 minutes. Nearly all of his scoring came in the ways that make him valuable: rolling hard to the rim, finishing lobs, and cleaning up misses around the basket. While the Mavericks’ perimeter offense struggled, Gafford’s rim pressure and activity on the glass kept Dallas from completely disappearing offensively for stretches.

Watching him dominate the paint like that almost felt like a little advertisement. You could almost imagine a few Raptors fans in the building thinking how nice it would be to have a hyper-efficient rim runner like that coming off the bench for a playoff push. Jokes aside, this is the version of Gafford the Mavericks need to see more often down the stretch. Dallas gave him a contract extension in the fall and clearly valued him on the roster moving forward, but his play since then has been inconsistent. Whether the long-term plan is to keep him or eventually move him, the Mavericks need him to stack efficient games like this to rebuild his trade value and live up to the extension, because when he plays with this kind of energy and efficiency, he still looks like a legitimately impactful center.

LOS ANGELES — It’s hard to ever get a fanbase to all agree on something, but one thing about the Lakers everyone seems to acknowledge is their struggle to beat good teams.

They are 15-19 against teams with more wins than losses and entering Sunday’s matinee against the Knicks, they had just four victories in 16 attempts against opponents that had a winning percentage above .600.

The Lakers finally flipped the script on Sunday, though, picking up not just a win over a “good” team, but a Knicks side that has the second-best record in the Eastern Conference and defeated them just last month, making the victory all the sweeter.

It wasn’t just the fact that they beat a good team that made this the best result of the year, it was how they did it.

Even with LeBron James out, the Lakers established dominance from the jump. This was a vintage Reaves performance as he wasted no time getting going offensively, scoring the team’s first five points.

He was attacking the paint with positive results — he ended the game going 8-10 from the foul line — and his 3-point shot was back as he knocked down half of his attempts.

“We just kept telling him, ‘touch the paint, touch the paint, touch the paint,’” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said postgame. “He was really strong today. We always talk about physicality on defense, but you need physicality on offense and I thought he was very physical offensively and that allowed him to squirt the basket, allowed him to draw fouls. They’ve got a lot of size and they’re a big team and he did a great job.”

Early in this season, Reaves having this kind of game wouldn’t have been newsworthy. But he’s failed to score more than 20 points each of the past eight games, so this was both welcome and needed.

Even with Reaves playing well, it takes a total team effort to defeat the Knicks.

LA was offensively aggressive, taking 44 3-point attempts, well above their season average of 33.5. Rui Hachimura re-entered the starting lineup, replacing LeBron, and scored on his first four shot attempts, ending the game with 13 points. Jaxson Hayes led the bench with 12 points and once again closed out the game.

However, the team’s most impressive feat was also its most shocking. The Lakers won this game largely thanks to their defense.

They held the Knicks to just 97 points, this was only the fourth time this season that LA held a team to under 100.

Not only did New York fail to crack the century mark, but the Lakers ended many of their offensive possessions with turnovers, forcing 19 and scoring 21 points off them. Add in five blocks and holding Mikal Bridges scoreless and it becomes clear why LA earned its second straight win and fifth victory in six games.

“You go down the stretch, I think we had three or four possessions where we end up with either a deflection or steal and all of that was on multiple efforts,” Redick said. “We were able to sustain that for all four quarters.”

Not only did LA win the game easily, but they remained in control during the second half.

With 4:35 left in the third quarter, the Knicks were down by just nine points. The Lakers responded, shutting down the New York, who failed to make a shot for over four minutes. By the time they did, Los Angeles was up by 19.

In the fourth, the Knicks tried to go on a run and got within 13 points thanks to a Jalen Brunson three with 8:23 left in the game. Redick called a timeout and LA’s guards in Dončić, Reaves, and Luke Kennard responded by knocking down shots, never allowing New York to even get within single digits.

The purple and gold did everything to win this game. Marcus Smart was diving on the floor. Luka was sacrificing his body to draw charges. Jarred Vanderbilt was bumping into courtside fans.

This late into the season, every win is needed. The Lakers earning this kind of victory during a nationally televised game against an elite team makes it clear that while LA’s 2025-26 story has completed multiple chapters, how the tale ends has yet to be told.

Inside the Lakers locker room, the win was business as usual. The goal is to never get too high or too low. They passed this test, but plenty more are on the way, with Minnesota next and games against the Nuggets, Rockets and Thunder looming.

“My job is not to overreact,” Redick said. “We’re 15-9 in our last 24 [games]. We’re a top-10 offense and a top-15 defense. That’s what we wanted to be coming into this season with this group, and that’s where our group is right now.”

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

LOS ANGELES — Like a few of his teammates, Mikal Bridges was saddled with foul trouble Sunday. 

And he never recovered. 

The guard went scoreless for the first time this season in an ugly 110-97 loss to the Lakers, missing all six of his attempts — including four from behind the arc. 

It was the third time Bridges failed to score since joining the Knicks before last season, although one occurred as he logged just a few seconds in a meaningless finale to maintain his consecutive games played streak. 

On Sunday, Bridges started by fouling Los Angeles’ Austin Reaves on a 3-point attempt just 15 seconds after tipoff. It set the tone. Bridges picked up his fourth foul about 1 ½ minutes into the second half and was benched for the remainder of the third quarter. 

“Just not being out there. I think that’s the biggest thing. Being in foul trouble takes me away from being out there to try to help my team win,” Bridges said. “I’ve got to be better, starting off the game fouling a shooter from 3.” 

Knicks coach Mike Brown blasted his team for lazy defending, saying it was the driver of the foul problems. The Lakers took 30 free throws compared to New York’s 21. 

“We got beat off the dribble often,” Brown said. “We got beat to the middle. And being lazy about it we reached at the last second and sent them to the free-throw line.” 

Luka Doncic, who finished with 35 points, attempted a game-high 10 free throws for the Lakers. Reaves took seven. 

“When we guarded the ball, we tried to make up for it with a crazy reach,” Brown said. “Thirty free-throw attempts is crazy.” 

Josh Hart was also foul-happy with four personals in just 22 minutes. He was benched for the entire fourth quarter, which was more about the coach rolling with Jordan Clarkson. 

“Yeah, it’s tough. Especially some of the fouls that they called they cause you — your physicality is not there and it’s tough, you’re not able to play the way you want to play,” Hart said. “You get taken out and you don’t have the flow of the game. Obviously that’s a frustrating thing. You’ve got to figure out and not put them on the free-throw line. It’s tough.” 

But nobody had a tougher afternoon than Bridges, who was looking forward to redemption Monday against the Clippers. 

“Just bouncing back. We have an opportunity to show that tomorrow off a back-to-back,” Bridges said. “Not playing as we wanted to, we get another chance to bounce back. It’s a game of life. You know what I’m saying? You’re hit and you’ve just got to get back up. So what are you going to do? We’ve got another opportunity tomorrow.”