Lakers (29-18) vs. Knicks (30-18) | Game 49 of 82

WHERE TO WATCH AND WHAT TIME

Location: Madison Square Garden — New York, N.Y.

TV: Telemundo, NBC, Peacock

Radio: ESPN LA 710 / 1330 KWKW

The Lakers continue the final stretch of their longest road trip of the season Sunday afternoon with a marquee prime-time matchup against the red-hot New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Los Angeles enters the contest riding momentum after a dominant 142–111 win over the Washington Wizards on Friday, improving to 29-18 on the season and 4-2 on the road trip. The performance served as a strong response following Wednesday’s blowout loss in Cleveland.

Luka Dončić led the way in Washington with 37 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds, recording his triple-double by halftime, becoming the only player in Lakers history to do so. The Lakers shot 61% from the field and tallied a season-high 38 assists in one of their most complete offensive performances of the season.

Deandre Ayton added 28 points on 12-of-14 shooting with 13 rebounds, while LeBron James contributed a series of highlight finishes as L.A dominated the paint and controlled the tempo throughout the night.

We can still see Austin Reaves make his return to the lineup after a 17-game absence, as coach JJ Redick said he’d make his return in the road trip. 

Sunday’s matchup presents a challenge, as the Lakers face one of the Eastern Conference’s best teams and another team above .500. The Lakers — who sit sixth in the West at 29-18 — are 9-10 against teams above .500 while having a 17-10 road record this season.

New York enters Sunday’s contest second in the Eastern Conference at 30-18 and riding a five-game winning streak. The Knicks have leaned heavily on Jalen Brunson, who has led the team in scoring in four of those five wins, continuing his All-NBA-caliber season at 27.6 ppg.

Brunson remains the engine of New York’s offense, but Karl-Anthony Towns has been a solid second option with a 20 ppg and 12 rpg average each night.

The Knicks will be without their lethal sixth man and top sniper in Miles McBride. He leads the team at 43% shooting from 3 and 13 points off the bench. So look for former Laker Jordan Clarkson, who averaged 9.3 ppg, to have a more expanded scoring role off the bench in the Garden

NOTABLE OPPONENT RANKS AMONG THE NBA

The Knicks have the 3rd-rated offense (118.9) and 12th-rated defense (113.6) in the NBA. Here are their notable rankings this season:

Bronny James (lower left leg soreness): Out

Austin Reaves (left calf strain): Questionable

Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain): Out

The Lakers will wear their purple Statement Edition uniforms, while the Knicks will wear their City Edition uniforms at Madison Square Garden.

The Lakers will conclude their eight-game road trip Tuesday night in Brooklyn against the Nets before returning to L.A.