Porzingis Has 26 Points, 7 Blocks As Knicks Top Lakers

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kristaps Porzingis had 26 points and 12 rebounds, Derrick Rose scored 25 in his return from injury and the New York Knicks held off the Los Angeles Lakers 118-112 Sunday night for their sixth win in seven games.

Brandon Jennings scored 15 of his season high-tying 19 points in the fourth quarter as the Knicks moved a season-best four games over .500 (14-10) with a dynamic effort in the final minutes, capped by Rose's jumper with 19.4 seconds left.

Lou Williams scored 24 points in his latest big game off the bench for the sliding Lakers, who lost their sixth straight despite the return of D'Angelo Russell and Nick Young.

Luol Deng set season highs with five 3-pointers and 22 points, but Los Angeles (10-16) hasn't won in December.

Rose went 12 for 16 after missing two games with a back injury, capping the effort with a cool 10-footer after the Lakers got within four.

Porzingis also has been feeling discomfort in his right knee, but the Latvian big man shook it off for another impressive effort that included seven blocked shots, tying his career high.

Carmelo Anthony had 13 points on 4-of-16 shooting for the Knicks, hitting a key baseline jumper in isolation with 2:15 to play.

The flagship teams from the nation's two largest cities had another lively meeting in their rivalry series. Knicks President Phil Jackson, the longtime Lakers coach, watched the game by New York's bench instead of sitting with his fiancé, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss.

The Lakers had a narrow lead in the fourth quarter before Jennings went off, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers and threading a slick pass to Courtney Lee for a three-point play to put the Knicks up 97-89 with 6:46 left.

THEY'RE BACK

Russell and Young returned in a limited capacity for the Lakers, who had been without their usual starting backcourt since late November. Russell had missed 12 of the Lakers' last 13 games with soreness in his left knee, while Young missed seven of the last nine with a strained calf.

Russell had three points on 1-of-8 shooting in 18 minutes, with Lakers coach Luke Walton strictly limiting his playing time. Young was right back to his usual swaggering self, scoring 12 points in the first half and finishing with 15 in 20 minutes.

TIP-INS

Knicks: They made their second stop on a five-game road trip that began with a narrow win at Sacramento.

Lakers: They are still without injured reserves Tarik Black and Jose Calderon. ... Los Angeles played its 14th game in 24 days, part of a stretch with 18 games in 30 days and no back-to-back days off before next weekend. The Lakers spend the next two weeks on the road before Christmas.

UP NEXT

Knicks: At the Suns on Tuesday.

Lakers: At the Kings on Monday to open a seven-game road trip.