The Knicks' playoff chances took another hit Tuesday when the lowly Los Angeles Lakers shot the lights out and pummeled New York, 127-96, at Staples Center.
Xavier Henry scored a team-high 22 points, while fellow reserves Nick Young and Kent Bazemore chipped in with 20 and 18 points, respectively, in the rout.
The Lakers, playing without leading scorer Pau Gasol, led by eight at halftime and exploded for an astounding 51 points in the third frame -- the most in any quarter of the Lakers' storied franchise and the most given up by the Knicks.
Los Angeles made 57.8 percent of its shots and were one 3-pointer shy of matching a franchise record with an 18-of-28 long range shooting display.
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Carmelo Anthony led New York with 29 points and nine rebounds, but it was not nearly enough for a team that now sits three games back of the Atlanta Hawks for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks had their eight-game winning streak snapped Sunday when they blew a 17-point lead against the Cavaliers, and they opened their pivotal five-game road trip with an embarrassing setback as Phil Jackson, their new president of basketball operations, watched from the luxury box.
The Lakers' starters came out cold, shooting 2-for-12 (16.7 percent) from the floor in the first quarter, and the poor showing allowed the Knicks to jump out to a 22-14 lead despite Anthony starting out 0-for-6 from the field.
Henry came off the bench and sparked the turnaround with eight points during a 15-2 run to open the second quarter.
The Lakers connected on all but five of the 20 shots they put up in the frame, including a 6-for-7 showing from behind the arc, and took a 50-42 advantage into the intermission.
Somehow, the hosts looked even better in a historic third.
Nine different Lakers scored during the 51-point bonanza, which again saw them make six 3-pointers and shoot an eye-popping 19-of-26 (73.1 percent) from the field.
Jodie Meeks drained two from behind the arc during a 19-3 five-minute stretch early in the stanza, as Ryan Kelly capped the flurry with another deep make that extended Los Angeles' cushion to 74-49.
Young missed from the perimeter in the closing seconds, yet the Lakers still held a insurmountable 101-73 lead entering the fourth.
[SportsNetwork.com]
