Knicks Lose to Lakers After Poor Third Quarter Performance

The New York Knicks fell to the Los Angeles Lakers 110-97 at Crypto.com Arena, snapping what had been a red-hot stretch of basketball for Mike Brown's squad. Coming off a dominant 142-103 victory over Denver just two days prior, New York looked flat, cold from three, and utterly incapable of stopping a Lakers team that had no business keeping up with them on paper.

Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 25 points and a monster 16 rebounds, but it wasn't nearly enough. Jalen Brunson added 24 but coughed up a damning seven turnovers, and that story, perhaps more than any other, sums up where this Knicks offense went wrong.

Mar 8, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) and Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) reach for the ball in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Third Quarter Killed It

New York outscored the Lakers 28-22 in the fourth quarter, but the damage had long been done.

The third quarter was an absolute nightmare. The Knicks managed just 20 points while the Lakers went for 34. Luka Doncic was carving up the Knicks' defense at will, finishing with 35 points, and Austin Reaves piled on with 25. A string of Luka threes, including a stepback fadeaway and a pullup from deep, stretched the lead to a point of no return by the time the fourth quarter began.

Bridges Goes Quiet Again

Mikal Bridges, the man the Knicks gave up five first-round picks for, finished with zero points on 0-of-6 shooting, including 0-of-4 from three.

Mikal Bridges as Knicks lose to Lakers 110-97:

0 points
0-6 shooting
0-4 three
-4 in 27 minutes pic.twitter.com/hv6twgxOrL
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) March 8, 2026

Bridges has repeatedly been benched down the stretch in key games this season, with Landry Shamet stepping in as the more reliable option in crunch time.

Off the bench, Jordan Clarkson provided a spark with 9 points, including a clutch hook shot and back-to-back free throws late in the third quarter to keep the Knicks within fighting distance. It wasn't enough to overcome a Lakers team that was collectively locked in, however.

The Lakers forced 18 Knicks turnovers, held New York to just 24% from three, and limited second-chance opportunities throughout the night.

The Knicks seemed to be improved in just one area, which was free throws, where Towns delivered all of his free throws.

Eyes on the Clippers

Mar 8, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown at press conferences at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Knicks have no time to rest. They will face the Los Angeles Clippers in their next game. This is a must-bounce-back situation. With the playoff seeding race tightening, dropping back-to-back games on this West Coast trip would be a major setback. Brown and the front office need to take a hard look at the rotation.

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