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 "Our mindset was nowhere where it should've been, let's put it that
way," the Los Angeles Lakers coach said. "I expressed that to (his
players) at halftime and at the end of the game."
Guard Tim Hardaway Jr. came off the bench to score 22 points, and
the New York Knicks defeated the Lakers 101-94 Thursday night at
Staples Center.
The win was especially sweet for Derek Fisher, who defeated his
former club for the second time this season and in his first game
against the Lakers at Staples as head coach.
"It's great to get a sweep for (Fisher) against his old team and
better for our group of guys to get a win after a tough loss," said
Hardaway, referring to Tuesday's 87-82 loss to the Utah Jazz. New
York posted a 90-82 win over Los Angeles on Feb. 1 at Madison Square
Garden. "We just knew we had to play hard and let the game take care
of itself."
Fisher initially downplayed any joy in beating the Lakers, but
admitted it was special when pushed by a reporter.
"You know me a little bit, so you're asking me a question because
you already know the answer," Fisher said. "So, you're correct."
Hardaway, who missed the previous two games with back spasms,
connected on eight of 14 shots from the floor and made five of seven
from 3-point range.
"Tim's been working hard all season at being a better defender,"
Fisher said. "I think he's put a lot of effort in trying to improve
on that end on the floor. That takes energy, so his shooting has
been up and down. But tonight he was really good on both ends of the
floor."
The Knicks, who have the worst record in the NBA (13-51), ended a
five-game skid and snapped a seven-game losing streak at Staples.
"How can you look at anybody in this league and say this is going to
be an easy win?" Scott said. "Like I said, at halftime we had no
fear of losing the game, which is beyond me."
New York center Andrea Bargnani added 16 points. Guards Alexey Shved
finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Guard Langston
Galloway scored 12 points.
Forward Jordan Hill scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the
Lakers, who fell for the sixth time in seven games. Guard Jeremy Lin
had 14 points and seven assists.
Los Angeles, which owns the fourth-worst mark in the league (17-47),
made a late run, cutting New York's lead to 96-91 after a 3-pointer
by point guard Jordan Clarkson with 53.4 seconds remaining.
New York forward Jason Smith scored on a drive with 32.1 seconds
left to push the lead to seven before Hill nailed a 3-pointer with
24.2 seconds left to pull the Lakers within 98-94, but Los Angeles
never scored again.
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"We got punched first and that's not a good position to be in when
you're trying to recover," Lin said.
Hardaway's 12 first-half points, all in the second quarter, gave New
York a 60-54 advantage at the break. The Knicks shot 53.7 percent to
49 percent for the Lakers in the first half. They also converted six
of 11 3-pointers to one of four for Los Angeles before intermission,
which also helped them outscore the Lakers 35-26 in the second
quarter.
Overall, the Knicks shot 46.8 percent to 42.2 percent for the
Lakers. New York hit 50 percent on 3-pointers compared to 27.8
percent for Los Angeles.
The Lakers lost despite outrebounding the Knicks 51-33, including a
15-4 edge on the offensive boards.
"Like I told the players, winning in this league on the road is not
easy to do, no matter what their records are and no matter who the
other team is," Fisher said. "To come in and win on the road feels
good, more so for the players and for myself."
NOTES: New York's Derek Fisher on what stands out about his first
game at Staples Center as a head coach against his former club: "I
think just the memories, the people, the city, what we've enjoyed
and experienced, you can't replace," said Fisher, referring to the
five NBA titles he won with the Lakers as a player. "Being back here
is almost re-energizing and it invigorates just the thought process
on how we need to keep going to get to the point we want to get to."
... Knicks president Phil Jackson joined his fiance, Lakers co-owner
Jeanie Buss, in her seats a row behind courtside seats, in the
second half. ... The Knicks visit the Golden State Warriors on
Saturday. ... The Lakers host the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.
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