Knicks News: Loss to Lakers stings but help on the horizon, home stretch commences

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May 11, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose (4) defends Los Angeles Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker (5) in the first half of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

In an all-out defensive battle, the New York Knicks fell to the Los Angeles Lakers by a measly two points in overtime late Tuesday night.

After falling to the Lakers, the Knicks walk away winning just one game during a four-game West Coast trip, backing themselves into a corner in the NBA standings as the Eastern Conference gets a little bit bleaker.

The New York Knicks fell in the standings considerably:

A Knicks loss in LA had dramatic implications for their standings, dropping them to the 6th seed, allowing Miami and Atlanta to leapfrog them. The Hawks now hold the 4th seed and Miami the 5th seed; the Heat have clinched a playoff berth, but Atlanta and New York are fighting for automatic playoff contention.

Luckily, New York has a favorable matchup against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday evening. They will then take on the Charlotte Bobcats and Boston Celtics to close out the year, meaning they have three winnable games upcoming on the schedule after a difficult West Coast trip that certainly built up a bit of fatigue.

However, both Immanuel Quickley and Alec Burks missed the past two games, so their return should offer some fresh legs to finish out the season strong.

As for the Hawks, they will finish the next three games taking on the Washington Wizards, Orlando Magic, and Houston Rockets. These next three games for Atlanta are very winnable, so the Knicks will need a bit of luck if they want to capture back the 4th seed.

Overall, the Knicks need to win just one game to lock in the 6th seed and a playoff berth, as the Boston Celtics sit three games back. However, that would require New York to lose all of their remaining games, which is unlikely based on their recent form.

The loss to LA might sting, but they played admirably and showed off their stellar defense. Of course, they didn’t have LeBron James available, but handling Anthony Davis is already a tall task. In the defeat, Davis scored 20 points, while Andre Drummond recorded 18 rebounds. As for the Knicks, Julius Randle and Derrick Rose lead the charge, totaling 58 points and 11 assists. They will need to continue playing elite basketball if the Knicks plan to make a playoff push.