Ep.25: Christmas Special

One of the most expected nights of the season finally arrived: the christmas day special. And of the five games that would take place that day, one of those is the Lakers-Knicks duel, a match full of history on both side, with Magic Johnson, Karl Malone and Shaquille O'Neal playing against Clyde Drexler, Walt Frazier and Willis Reed.

The game began and the New York Knicks were the first to throw a punch. They began a 12-2 run within the first 6 minutes of the match, and took a convincing lead thanks to Lou Hudson's great offensive performance. However, Gail Goodrich hit a contested three and only a few seconds later, Elgin Baylor made an amazing poster on Josh Smith. The momentum had changed.

During the first quarter's last minutes and the beginning of the second, Magic Johnson commanded the Lakers' comeback efforts. They managed to bring the game back to a single-possesion game, but then Clyde Drexler made a jumper, then stole the ball and made a fantastic fast-break dunk.

Even though they started the second half losing by 7, the Lakers didn't give up. Antawn Jamison hit a crucial three-pointer over Hudson, and then Shaquille O'Neal made an important block on Willis Reed. Again, Elgin Baylor was the Lakers' most dangerous weapon, as he made 5 consecutive shots, including 3 jumpers, to give his team the lead for the first time in the game.

During the fourth quarter, the Lakers absolutely destroyed the tired Knicks and got away with the victory, important to keep the chase for the Clippers alive. Both Magic Johnson (23-11) and Karl Malone (15-10) ended up with a double-double. Clyde Drexler was the match's max-scorer, with 26 points.

The Knicks' crisis continued with yet another loss, while the Lakers immediately started to prepare their next match, wishing to keep alive their chances at the top spot of the conference.

Post-Game Stats:

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