The Lakers (29-18) are on the last stop of their current eight-game road trip in New York City where they will take on the Knicks (30-18) and Brooklyn Nets (13-24) in their next two games. This is the first time they\u2019ll see both teams this season.<\/p>\n
Start time and TV schedule<\/p>\n
Who: Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> vs. New York Knicks<\/p>\n Where: Madison Square Garden<\/p>\n One of the most notable games in the Lakers\u2019 calendar every season is when they make their annual visit to Madison Square Garden. There\u2019s just something about the Lakers facing the Knicks even if both teams don\u2019t really consider each other as rivals. Perhaps it\u2019s because Los Angeles and New York are two of the biggest and most popular cities in America or maybe it\u2019s West versus East. Either way, there\u2019s always something in the air when these two heavyweights go at it.<\/p>\n On Sunday, the Lakers will look to secure their fourth straight victory in MSG and seventh in the last 10 games. They\u2019ve had a decent road trip so far, where they\u2019ve won four out of six games. Putting their atrocious second half performance in the loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers aside, their defense has shown signs of improvement and they\u2019ve been playing with more energy, focus and purpose on the offensive end. Their most recent victory against the Washington Wizards \u2014 even though they are the worst team in the association \u2014 is a testament to that.<\/p>\n The win against the Wizards was the perfect get-right game and set up for what should be the toughest challenge in this road trip. The Knicks, who are second in the Eastern Conference, are on a five-game winning streak after a slump that began right after they won the NBA Cup this year.<\/p>\n They\u2019ll be ready for the Lakers and here\u2019s what the purple and gold should expect:<\/p>\n A really good rebounding team<\/p>\n Perhaps the biggest advantage New York has over Los Angeles this season is that the former ranks second overall in rebounds per game (46.4) and third in offensive rebounds (13.6). Much of this is because the Knicks are big and athletic. They have Karl Anthony-Towns averaging 11.8 rebounds per game followed by Mitchell Robinson, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby. The Lakers will have to match their production on the boards or, better yet, dominate the possession battle if they want a chance to win this one.<\/p>\n An energized offensive team<\/p>\n A big reason for the Knicks\u2019 recent winning streak is their improved offense, which hasn\u2019t been stagnant. They\u2019re playing with more speed and motion, not to mention that they have the league\u2019s third-best offense. The Knicks are the type of opponent that the Lakers have struggled to defend this season. It\u2019ll be interesting to see how head coach JJ Redick game plans against them and whether or not the Lakers\u2019 offense \u2014 which now ranks seventh in the league \u2014 can outmatch them. This game will be a battle between two elite offenses.<\/p>\n A team that will throw the kitchen sink at Luka Don\u010di\u0107<\/p>\n With Miles McBride possibly absent in this one, the Knicks won\u2019t have arguably their best point-of-attack defender. That means they\u2019ll most likely throw the kitchen sink at Don\u010di\u0107, who will see different coverages all night. That will then cause a domino effect and impact LeBron James and the rest of the team. How the Lakers counter and play through this will obviously dictate the outcome of the game.<\/p>\n They\u2019re going to need their superstars to play at a high level. Deandre Ayton and the rest of the supporting cast need to make their presence felt in this one as well.<\/p>\n It\u2019s tough to beat a Knicks team at home but the Lakers have proven over the last three years that they can do it. They know they\u2019re going to have to play well and they\u2019ve also shown this season that they\u2019re capable of rising to the moment. Let\u2019s see if this happens once again on Sunday as West meets East.<\/p>\n For the Lakers\u2019 injury report, Bronny James (lower left leg soreness) and Austin Reaves (left calf strain) are questionable.Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain) is listed as out.Miles McBride (left ankle) is out.<\/p>\n You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani<\/a>.<\/p>\n