LAL 110, NYK 97: Towns Posts 51.2 Yahoo FP Despite NYK Loss
Hiro Tanaka
Physical Therapy Assistant · Los Angeles Lakers fan
Lakers Beat Knicks Behind Austin Reaves, Karl-Anthony Towns Goes Off for KNY
Final: Lakers 110, Knicks 97
Look, I'm gonna be straight with you. I watched this game and the Lakers looked locked in on defense, but this one belonged to Karl-Anthony Towns. Man was a monster and if you had him on your roster, you cashed a check last night.
Here's who actually mattered:
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karl-Anthony Towns | 49.0 | 51.2 | 25/16/2 | 19.8/11.9/2.8 | +5.2 |
| Luka Dončić | 47.0 | 50.6 | 35/8/4 | 32.5/7.8/8.4 | +2.5 |
| Austin Reaves | 55.0 | 48.3 | 25/4/5 | 23.5/4.7/5.4 | +1.5 |
| Jalen Brunson | 28.0 | 34.7 | 24/6/7 | 26.2/3.4/6.5 | -2.2 |
| Rui Hachimura | 28.0 | 26.4 | 13/7/2 | 11.6/3.4/0.9 | +1.4 |
| OG Anunoby | 23.0 | 25.1 | 13/8/1 | 16.4/5.3/2.2 | -3.4 |
| Josh Hart | 24.0 | 23.2 | 8/6/2 | 11.8/7.5/5.1 | -3.8 |
| Deandre Ayton | 24.0 | 21.6 | 6/8/0 | 12.4/8.2/0.8 | -6.4 |
| Marcus Smart | 13.0 | 19.6 | 5/3/4 | 9.4/2.9/2.9 | -4.4 |
| Mikal Bridges | 14.0 | 18.7 | 0/6/5 | 15.3/4.1/4.0 | -15.3 |
KAT Was Unconscious
Karl-Anthony Towns put up 51.2 Yahoo FP on 25 points and 16 rebounds in 33 minutes. That's +5.2 above his season average and he was perfect from the line, 8-for-8. The spacing he creates is different, man. He's not just knocking down shots, he's creating gravity that frees up everyone else. If you needed him to go off against a team like LA, he delivered exactly when it mattered.
Austin Reaves Showed Out (Finally)
Austin Reaves cooked for 48.3 Yahoo FP with a clean, efficient 25/4/5 line with 3 steals. This is what we drafted Reaves to do. Some nights he's running point because of injuries or matchups, some nights he's shooting it more, but when he's locked in like this, he's a third option who can get you 45+ Yahoo points on moderate usage. He hit 3-pointers, got to the line, played solid D. At 38 minutes, he was part of the Lakers' entire win, and that's something to remember when you're thinking about him going forward.
The Luka Problem Is Real
Luka Dončić scored 35 points. Let me say that again. 35. Points. And he put up 50.6 Yahoo FP, which sounds great until you notice he's down 4.4 from his season average because he took 25 shots and didn't add much else. This is the Luka reality we've been dealing with all year. On nights when the shot isn't falling clean or the team's defense is locked in, he can score 35 and still feel like it wasn't enough. The All-NBA Second Team guy needs volume nights to get 50+ because his assists and boards aren't gonna carry him. He went 11-25 from the field. Not broken, but not clean. Not the kind of efficient dominance that let him drag teams to wins last year.
Jalen Brunson Got Hunted
Jalen Brunson finished with 34.7 Yahoo FP on 24/6/7, which looks fine on the surface. But he got -2.2 points vs season average. He was on the floor for 42 minutes and the Lakers just kept hunting him on defense, getting him in foul trouble situations. The Knicks needed him to do more in a losing effort. When your All-NBA point guard plays 42 minutes and still can't get the W, something went wrong offensively.
Rui Hachimura Jumped Minutes and Production
Rui Hachimura got 36 minutes and showed why the Lakers are using him more. 13/7/2 with 3-pointers made is exactly what they need from him. He was +1.4 against his season average but the volume was the real story. Lakers are clearly comfortable playing him big minutes in playoff positioning time, and that's worth noting if you've been thinking about him as a deep bench guy. He's getting real minutes now.
Mikal Bridges' Worst Game of the Season
Here's the thing I gotta mention because it's weird: Mikal Bridges went 0-for-6 from the field. Zero makes. 18.7 Yahoo FP in 27 minutes on a scoreless night. That's a -15.3 point swing from his season average. He's still elite on defense (All-Defensive First Team last year), so he's getting 5 assists and 1 steal to earn his points, but when your starting SG can't get anything to fall, it's a problem. This was an outlier bad shooting night, not a sign of anything serious. He's still a guy you trust.
The Knicks Defense Got Tired
New York's role guys couldn't step up. OG Anunoby (-3.4), Josh Hart (-3.8), and then the bench got outplayed across the board. When the two stars can't both have huge nights, role depth matters. Knicks are deep, but the Lakers just executed better.
Waiver Watch
OG Anunoby is up to 88.7% ownership and people are still adding him. Let him go if he's on your waiver wire. He's already in 90% of leagues and this game (13/8/1) doesn't change his value much.
Deandre Ayton got dropped 0.1% and went -6.4 against his average. He only played 19 minutes and couldn't establish himself. Worth watching this, but don't panic yet on a 19-minute game. If it becomes a pattern of low usage, that's different.
Bottom Line
Lakers won because they had two guys go off (Reaves and Dončić's volume) and the Knicks couldn't get KAT's performance to spread. KAT was amazing, but it wasn't enough. For your lineup, the lesson is simple: KAT proved he can still carry, Reaves is a legitimate scoring threat when healthy, and when Dončić is taking 25 shots, make sure the rest of your team isn't depending on role guys.
Lakers move the needle. Let's see what they do next.