Amar'e Stoudemire scored 23 points for the New York Knicks, but he had to take 24 field goals and 11 free throws -- effectively 28 shots -- to get them as the Los Angeles Lakers created a hostile work environment in the paint for the superlative scorer. The Lakers won 109-87, the two-time defending NBA champions' best win in weeks.
Lakers Vs. Knicks: Amar’e Stoudemire Stifled As L.A. Denies New York
Stoudemire was stymied by Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom, three players who could (depending on how the league deals with Yao Ming's vote-in) appear on the Western Conference All-Stars next month. Stoudemire was clearly psyched up for the game -- he had six blocks, for crying out loud -- but the Lakers were too good and too smart to be fooled by his wily tricks, especially without a signature scorer backing Amar'e up on the perimeter.
That's what Wilson Chandler passes for these days, and while Chandler is doing as well as can be expected, his 0-5 night from long-range just killed the Knicks, who are still missing (dearly, in this game) Danilo Gallinari.
Gasol had 20 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks. Bynum added 18, seven and two in 25 minutes before being ejected, and Odom came in off the bench to provide 13 points and 18 rebounds. Kobe Bryant scored 27 points, but needed 28 field goal attempts and four free throws to get there.
It’s hard to overstate how geeked up the Lakers’ bigs were. Bynum had the play of the night, a dunk Amar’e often lays on unfortunate opponents.
When Bynum is going hard and Gasol is getting the ball, this team is going to be tough to beat.
Bill Walker, once considered the most athletic high school player in the country before tearing his ACL during his mandated pre-draft collegiate season at Kansas State, took seven shots, all of them three-pointers. Somewhere, a 13-year-old dunk fiend weeps.
Silver Screen And Roll credits the focus on getting the ball to the Lakers’ big men as a major turning point for the team. Posting And Toasting writes that Amar’e and Raymond Felton were going to both have bad nights on the same night at some point, and it finally happened.
See More:
