There are high profile games...and then there's the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the New York Knicks.
Tonight's battle between both basketball powerhouses at the historic Madison Square Garden in New York City at 8 p.m. EST/ 5 p.m. PST, is loaded with storylines and match-ups galore.
For Knicks coach Mike Woodson, it's the opportunity to face the star-studded Lakers for the first time this season, as well as get a chance to coach against the man who he replaced.
For Mike D'Antoni, it's the opportunity not only to get the struggling Lakers (9-13) to snap a three-game losing streak, but to stick it to his ex-team (16-5) which he left in midyear last season amid rumored discord between himself and Knicks superstar Carmelo Anthony.
For Anthony, it's the first time he plays with D'Antoni on the opposing sidelines since the coaching change last season, and a chance to go one on one with his good friend and the league's top scorer in Kobe Bryant.
And for Bryant, who has had many memorable games at the Garden, it's a chance to shine with the lights on brightest in a nationally televised game on TNT.
Latinos Post breaks down the top match-ups for tonight's game:
Power forward: Carmelo Anthony, Knicks vs. Antawn Jamison, Lakers
You would be hard-pressed not to find a more dangerous scorer in the NBA than Anthony right now.
Having an MVP-caliber season at 27.7 points a game--second in scoring in the NBA only to his close friend Bryant--Anthony, who is scoring 34.0 points for the month of December, is coming off a 45-point masterpiece in the Knicks' 100-97 win over the crosstown rival Nets Tuesday.
Bryant himself recently told ESPN that he finds Anthony harder to guard than even the Miami Heat's LeBron James, considered by many to be the best player in the game today--an ultimate compliment from one of the game's all-time greats.
That being said, Jamison, who scored 30 points against the Nuggets on Nov. 30 after Pau Gasol went down with an injury, has not been bad on offense, scoring 13.2 points over the last 10 games. But at age 36, Jamison will need all the help he can get guarding the younger Anthony, 28, who is locked in a zone where few can touch him.
Advantage: Knicks
Small forward: Ronnie Brewer, Knicks vs. Metta World Peace, Lakers
Stable is hardly a word that best describes the controversial World Peace, but he has been just that on offense, providing a strong presence in the three-spot with 11.7 points over 35 minutes of play in the last 10 games.
Meanwhile, Brewer has not scored much in the month of December (4.3 points for the month) but what he lacks in offensive skills he makes up for in defensive know-how which was his staple in Chicago.
Advantage: Lakers
Center: Tyson Chandler, Knicks vs. Dwight Howard, Lakers
One of the more intriguing match-ups of the night will be a war in the paint with the last two NBA Defensive Players of the Year.
While not as prolific a scorer as Howard, Chandler, the 2011-12 top defender, has been steady for the Knicks at offense, a favorite target for Felton on the alley-oop passes and a reliable shooter, hitting a stunning 73.3 percent of his shots in the last 10 games.
Howard, meanwhile, has been his usual dominant self, averaging double-doubles of 12.8 rebounds and 17.5 points in the last 10 games. And in addition, he tends to do as well against the Knicks, averaging 19.0 points and 12.7 rebounds in 28 games against New York for his career.
This one is going to be a tough contest, and fans can expect these two to get very physical with each other.
Advantage: Even
Shooting Guard: Jason Kidd, Knicks vs. Kobe Bryant, Lakers
If this were about 10 years ago, this would be the match-up of the game.
But even at age 39, Kidd has still proven that he has the stuff to play the game. Coming off a thriller in which he hit the game-winning shot against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, Kidd has been averaging 17.5 points in the last two games to go with 6.5 assists.
But even with his savvy defending prowess, he will have his work cut out for him guarding Bryant, who leads the NBA in scoring at 29.2 points per game. The 34-year-old Bryant has been on a roll lately, his 42 points against Cleveland on Tuesday capping a four-game span where he has averaged 35.0 points. And he loves to play at Madison Square Garden, averaging 34.6 points for his career when playing in New York.
Look for Anthony to provide with Kidd some help in trying to stop Bryant, which could set up a great one-on-one encounter between two of the league's best scorers.
Advantage: Lakers
Point Guard: Raymond Felton vs. Chris Duhon, Lakers
Prior to a bad shooting night, 3-for-12, against the Nets in the Knicks 100-97 win on Tuesday, Felton had been on a scoring tear, averaging 20.8 points for the first five games of December with 6.8 assists. Regardless, it is hard to see Felton missing a beat tonight after what has been a remarkable--maybe even All-Star worthy--comeback season for the former fifth overall pick of the 2005 NBA Draft.
Duhon, meanwhile, has been playing better in the last four games, averaging 7.7 points and 6.5 assists, well above his season averages in both categories. But aside from distributing the ball, Duhon will have to find a way to stop Felton from scoring. If left unchecked, Felton can explode for 20-plus points, which would almost certainly doom the Lakers if everyone else on the Knicks does their job.
Advantage: Knicks
Coach: Mike Woodson, Knicks vs. Mike D'Antoni, Lakers
Who's the better Mike?
From the perspective of the record books this season, the nod would go to Woodson. Last season, Woodson had his trials taking over a team left in disarray and disgruntled following D'Antoni's departure from the Big Apple, amid rumors of clashing with Anthony over the team's direction. They couldn't share the ball. They couldn't play defense. And they couldn't figure out a way to get everyone not named Carmelo Anthony involved on offense.
Now two weeks into December, the Knicks are sitting alone atop the Eastern Conference with the best record at 16-5, while sporting the third highest winning percentage, .762, just behind Oklahoma City and San Antonio.
And it's in part thanks to Woodson being able to find the right formula for his team. Challenging Anthony to rebound and defend and to trust his teammates. Preaching the importance of defense. And stressing the value of winning at home--where the Knicks are the only undefeated team in the NBA at 8-0.
D'Antoni, meanwhile, has had a rough start to what has been a dismal season so far for the Lakers, who are 4-8 since D'Antoni took over for Mike Brown, who was fired after the first five games of the season. With injuries to Pau Gasol and Steve Nash and an offense that has yet to come together, D'Antoni is going to have to work some magic if he's going to beat his former team tonight.
Advantage: Knicks
Bench: Pablo Prigioni, JR Smith, Steve Novak, Knicks vs. Darius Morris, Jodie Meeks, Devin Ebanks
Antawn Jamison and Chris Duhon could have provided a big boost off the bench for the Lakers, but with Gasol and Nash still out with injuries, the Lakers will have to rely on the Ebanks and Meeks, who aren't providing much offense from the pine. Ebanks is only scoring 2.4 points for the month.
Meanwhile, J.R. Smith, who has been refocused this season, is still shaky with his shooting, but has provided steady scoring off the bench with 12.7 points for December. Prigioni continues to provide solid backup in the point guard position and Novak can still hurt a team from beyond the three-point line if left alone.
Advantage: Knicks
For live streaming action of tonight's game, go to NBA.com's Live Streaming League Pass Broadband.
Live Scores will be available here
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