Lou Williams scored 22 points, Nick Young had 17 and the Los Angeles Lakers handed the Knicks an embarrassing 121-107 defeat Monday night to stop a 12-game losing streak on the road.
Julius Randle and Brandon Ingram added 14 points apiece for the struggling Lakers, who won for only the third time in 13 games overall. They had dropped 17 of their previous 18 away from home, with the only road victory during that stretch coming on Dec. 16 in Philadelphia.
It was Los Angeles' first victory over New York at Madison Square Garden in six years.
Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 26 points. Kristaps Porzingis and Brandon Jennings each had 16.
New York crept to within 15 early in the third quarter, but the Lakers again went up by a game-high 27 points, 83-56, on Young's jumper with 4:45 left. They settled for a 97-73 lead after three.
New York scored the first six points of the fourth but only got as close as 119-107 on Jennings' layup with 1:28 remaining.
After the Knicks scored the first four points of the game, the Lakers went on a 20-4 spurt and never trailed again. They went on to take a 29-19 lead after the first quarter.
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Los Angeles grabbed its biggest lead of the half, 57-30, on Randle's layup with 4:05 left.
The Knicks scored the next five points and went on a 13-2 run to pull to 61-45 at halftime.
Justin Holiday added 14 points and Kyle O'Quinn had 10 for the Knicks.
TIP-INS
Lakers: Jordan Clarkson (12), Larry Nance Jr. (10) and Ivica Zubac (10) also scored in double figures for the Lakers. ... Nance played 31 minutes after missing three of the previous four games due to a left knee bone bruise. . Randle returned after missing Friday night's game in Boston with pneumonia.
Knicks: Derrick Rose returned to the lineup after missing the previous four games with a left ankle sprain. He played 32 minutes and scored five points. . No Knick has played in all 53 games this season.
SWEET REVENGE
The Lakers had lost to the Knicks five straight times. Los Angeles had not taken a game in the series since its 127-96 victory on March 25, 2014. The Lakers hadn't beaten the Knicks in Madison Square Garden since Feb. 11, 2011.
DIM THE LIGHTS
The game originally was scheduled to be broadcast nationally by TNT. However, the Knicks and the Lakers were bumped and the network televised the Cavaliers-Wizards game instead.
THE ENVELOPE PLEASE .
The award for best supporting player in the NBA has to go to Williams. He is the only non-starter in the league to be leading his team in scoring (18.3 points per game).
UP NEXT
Lakers: Los Angeles visits Detroit on Wednesday. The Pistons beat the Lakers 102-97 in Los Angeles on Jan. 15.
Knicks: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. The Clippers have won the last eight meetings since New York's last victory in the series on April 25, 2012, at home.
