Today's throwback video takes us to November 11, 1990: An early season matchup between the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers from the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. This video features two legends facing off for teams that are in flux: one on its way in and one on its way out.
The New York Knicks entered the game 3-2, coming off of a win the night before in Sacramento. This was the second game of a 4-game west coast set. The Lakers were 1-2, playing their fourth game at a point in the season when most teams had played their fifth or sixth.
The Knicks won on the road 109-103 over the Lakers, making it their third straight. LA's loss fell to 1-3 on the young campaign. The game was a back-and-fourth shootout on both sides, but the Knicks were able to pull away with a 11-4 run in the final 3:47 of the game. Patrick Ewing led New York with 27 points and 14 rebounds despite being triple-teamed on multiple occasions. Kiki Vandeweghe added 22 points, scoring 20+ for the third straight game.
Magic Johnson led the Lakers with a triple-double: 24 points, 15 rebounds, 14 assists. Byron Scott added 24 of his own. Despite big performances from Magic and Scott, the Lakers bench was outscored 32-19, which made a difference in the long run.
While it seemed like the two squads were trending in certain directions (the Knicks on the way up, the Lakers on the way down), things soon turned in opposite directions for both sides.
The Knicks would split the final two games of the west coast trip with an overtime win at Seattle and a high-scoring loss at Portland. From there, however, they would have two wins bookend a five-game losing streak. GM Al Bianchi saw this as an opportunity to fire head coach Stu Jackson and replace him with John MacLeod, a man Bianchi tried to hire in 1987 after being his assistant coach for 11 years in Phoenix. Bianchi would be fired midseason and John MacLeod would leave for Notre Dame after the season. The Knicks would end the campaign 39-43 and was swept by the eventually champion Chicago Bulls. Former Lakers coach Pat Riley would step in the following season.
The Lakers were starting the season slowly as they adjusted to new head coach Mike Dunleavy, who looked to establish more set plays than the Showtime Lakers were used to under Riley. Los Angeles would start the year 2-5 before reeling off 8 straight wins. They'd go on a 16-game win streak in January and February and finish the year 58-24. The Lakers would take the Western Conference crown in six games over defending conference champ Portland. They would fall in the NBA Finals to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, four games to one.
It goes to show that the season is a marathon. Early returns - like a few weeks in - don't always foretell how things will turn out over the course of 7 months. The grind is real!
Video courtesy of NBAOLDTWO. Marv Albert and John Andariese are on the call for MSG Network, with a special appearance from comedian Richard Lewis in the third quarter.
No comments:
Post a Comment