Lakers vs. Knicks: In-game report

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Lakers 115, Knicks 105 (final)

At the end of the third quarter tonight, with the Lakers trailing the New York Knicks by one point, Derek Fisher gathered his teammates together in a huddle and gave them a lecture.

All of them stood and listened to Fisher, who did all the talking.

The Lakers went out and played a more determined fourth quarter.

By game’s end, all five Lakers starers scored in double figures.

Kobe Bryant, who started the game slow, had 22 of his 27 points in the second half.

Pau Gasol rebounded from a poor game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night to score 20 points, collect eight rebounds and hand out five assists.

Gasol even made his free throws, going six for 11 from the line. He was seven-for-10 shooting from the field.

After he scored on one play in the fourth while being fouled, Gasol pounded his chest with his fist.

Knicks 85, Lakers 84 (third quarter) The crowd had come to see if Kobe Bryant would score 61 points against the Knicks like he did last season.

When Bryant scored just five points in the first half, the crowd seemed disappointed. But when Bryant began to warm up in the third, the crowd began to stir.

Bryant had nine points in the third. Still, the Lakers couldn’t shake-free of the Knicks.

Lakers 63, Knicks 63 (halftime) There wasn’t much defense played in the first half by the Lakers or the Knicks tonight at Madison Square Garden.

The Lakers shot 56.1% from the field in the first half, 64.3% (nine for 14) from three-point range.

Andrew Bynum led the Lakers with 17 points on six-for-eight shooting and Ron Artest added 11, making all four of his shots.

Kobe Bryant had only five points on two-for-eight shooting, but he did have five assists in the first half.

David Lee had 16 points, Chris Duhon added 14 and Danilo Gallinari had 13 for the Knicks in the first half.

The Lakers’ bench provided a big spark in the first half.

Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar and Lamar Odom gave the Lakers a lift they needed.

Brown had seven points in the second quarter to provide a boost, while Farmar had six points in the half. Odom led the team with six rebounds.

Lakers 36, Knicks 30 (first quarter) Andrew Bynum was the focal point for the Lakers in the first quarter.

The Lakers went to Bynum time and again inside. And he delivered, scoring 11 points on three-for-five shooting, making all five of his free throws.

Jordan Farmar came off the bench and gave the Lakers a big lift. Farmar had six points in the first quarter, going two for three from three-point range, including a three-pointer with one second left in the quarter.

Pregame The loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night was fresh in the minds of the Lakers this evening.

They couldn’t leave behind how they performed in the final minute of that game, a game in which Pau Gasol couldn’t deliver the goods.

Kobe Bryant called his team out after the game, saying they weren’t tough enough.

‘That’s debatable,’ Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. ‘There were some situations last night that we could have stood up a little better.’

But the Lakers needed to get themselves ready to play the New York Knicks tonight at Madison Square Garden.

Jackson joked about his team’s mood before the Knicks game.

‘I think they’re more probably alto than tenor right now,’ Jackson said, smiling. ‘They’re just not so happy.’

One thing the Lakers can look forward to is Bryant playing his best against New York.

Last season, Bryant scored 61 points against the Knicks, a Madison Square Garden record.

-- Broderick Turner