Looking for more clampdowns

Lakers show level of defense that could serve them well going forward

- BY THỤC NHI NGUYEN

Photographs by ROBERT GAUTHIER Los Angeles Times LAKERS center Jaxson Hayes, left, dives for a loose ball in front of Knicks forward OG Anunoby in L.A.'s 110-97 win on Sunday.

Jaxson Hayes remembered the bruising the Lakers got at Madison Square Garden a month ago when the New York Knicks bullied them on the boards, outscored them by 14 in the second half and had six players score in double figures.

Hayes was happy to return the favor Sunday in the Lakers' 11097 win at Crypto.​com Arena.

"I just feel like we owed them that one," the Lakers center said.

THE LAKERS' Marcus Smart, left, ties up Knicks guard Jalen Brunson. Smart's defensive prowess played a major role in the victory.

The wire-to-wire win over the Knicks (41-24) was only the second time since early November that the Lakers (39-25) recorded a win over a team with a record of .600 or better. They improved to 5-12 against such teams after losing 12 of their last 13 games against the league's upper echelon. With the win and a tiebreaker against Denver, the Lakers moved into fifth in the Western Conference. They play fourth-place Minnesota (40-24) on Tuesday.

Here are three takeaways from Sunday's win:

Showing their playoff mentality

Hayes crawled across the floor for loose balls. Marcus Smart stepped in front of driving opponents. Jarred Vanderbilt leaped into the laps of frontrow fans.

With energy and focus from every player, the Lakers delivered one of their best defensive efforts of the season despite circumstances that could have made Sunday's game a snoozer.

The Lakers were playing their third game in four days.