The resurgent Knicks, powered by the suddenly relevant Jeremy Lin, will look for their fourth straight win tonight when they host the Los Angeles Lakers at Madison Square Garden. This evening’s contest, which will be broadcast live on ESPN, is scheduled to get underway at 8:00pm ET. NBA Odds have the Lakers listed as a -3.5 against the spread road favorite; the game total is set at 186 points.
The Lakers current six game road swing took a major turn for worse after back-to-back losses at Utah and Philadelphia, but they changed their course last night with an 88-87 overtime upset of the Celtics. Los Angeles’ work on the defensive end and glass enabled it to slide past Boston, despite hitting just 36-of-91 from the field and 1-of-15 from beyond the arc.
The Lakers big three, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum, carried the load, per usual, on offense with Gasol scoring 25 points, Bynum 16, and Bryant a game high 27. Gasol and Bynum also finished the game with double figures in rebounds, grabbing 14 and 17 respectively to help halt the Celtics win streak at five games.
Tonight would seemingly be a golden opportunity for Los Angeles to ensure, at a minimum, a break even road trip, but the Lakers, given their erratic play this season, should take nothing for granted, even against an injury depleted opponent. And New York has not played as though it is missing anyone.
The Knicks, playing without Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony (for all practical purposes) for a second consecutive game, extended its win streak to three games on Wednesday night with a 107-93 win over the lowly Wizards. Once again, Jeremy Lin, who burst on the scene Saturday night with a 25 point performance against the Nets, led the way with a 23 point, 10 assist showing.
Since being inserted into the starting lineup against New Jersey, Lin has averaged 25.3 points, 8.3 assists, and1.6 steals per game while shooting 58.6 percent from the field. His play, along with that of Tyson Chandler and reserve forward Steve Novak, has helped the Knicks excel despite the absence of its two biggest stars.
Tonight represents a big step up in competition for the Knicks, though, as their win streak has come against teams that are a combined 26-51 on the season. New York has also played horribly at the Garden against Los Angeles of late, losing nine of its last 10 (3-7 against the spread) as a home dog opposite the Lakers.
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Los Angeles Lakers vs New York Knicks 2012 NBA Odds: Provided by TopBet.com
Los Angeles Lakers -3.5 (-110), Over 186 (-110), -165 (Moneyline)
New York Knicks +3.5 (-110), Under 186 (-110), +145 (Moneyline)
