Before Mike D’Antoni came to the Lakers, he served as head coach for the New York Knicks for five years. The Lakers then hired D’Antoni after firing Mike Brown five games into the 2012-2013 NBA season. The Lakers came into their Christmas Day matchup with the Knicks on a four game winning streak.
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The game was closely battled between the two teams as neither the Lakers nor the Knicks were able to take full control. Both teams were led by their respective superstars. Kobe Bryant led the way for the Lakers by dropping 34 points, but Carmelo Anthony matched Bryant’s output.
The difference came in the supporting cast as only J.R. Smith was the only other Knick to score double digits. The Lakers, meanwhile, received additional scoring from Pau Gasol, Metta World Peace, Dwight Howard, and Steve Nash. Howard and Nash also had double-doubles to give the Lakers their fifth straight win.
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