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Kristaps Porzingis balled out in a win over Lonzo and the Los Angeles Lakers

Lonzo Ball was a celebrity guest, but The Garden is Kristaps Porzingis’ house. (AP Foto/Andres Kudacki)
Lonzo Ball was a celebrity guest, but The Garden is Kristaps Porzingis’ house. (AP Foto/Andres Kudacki)

The final box score was only a snapshot of what happened in the New York Knicks’ 109-113 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Lonzo Ball stepped into The Garden with a little more swagger than usual and channeled a little bit of Lavar’s bravado. Lonzo has avoided confrontation and squabbles during his brief NBA career. However, he’s uncharacteristically petty when it comes to his sacrilegious disregard for the legacy of Queens-bred rapper Nas.

Naturally, Lonzo decided to break out a hoodie featuring his face ‘shopped onto Nas’ It Was Written album cover before his first game at Madison Square Garden. New Yorkers didn’t take kindly to his disrespect.

Lonzo’s Nas shirt has popped up before. A few months ago, his trainer rocked a shirt with the same image of Lonzo’s face on the It Was Written album cover.

Lonzo may have found his lucky sweatshirt because he backed up his pregame hoopla and proceeded to have one of the most complete offensive performances of his young career. He caught lobs, drizzled in a few 3-pointers off the dribble and finished in traffic. Lavar, who sat courtside between LaMelo and Liangelo, outshined Spike Lee and was his usual, bombastic self whenever Lonzo heated up.

However, amid all the hubbub, the Knicks’ Kristaps Porzingis delivered an ill performance, pacing the Knicks with 35 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks. The Balls brought the star wattage. 7-foot-3 Porzingis was the marquee. However, on this night Big Baller Brand wasn’t the biggest baller in the building.

Porzingis had an opportunity to deliver the coup de grace to the Lakers in regulation, but he missed a contested bucket underneath the basket. On the ensuing possession, the Lakers ball movement flummoxed New York’s transition defense and Kuzma drained the game-tying 3-pointer from the right wing with 23.9 seconds remaining.

Lonzo accumulated 17 points on 46 percent shooting, six assists, one block, in addition to two steals, however, the Lakers ran out of steam in overtime.