LOS ANGELES — The Lakers found a new way to lose in a season slowly filling up with setbacks.

They trailed the New York Knicks by 25 points, battled back gamely to tie the score and gradually faded from there in a 106-100 loss Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. 

Russell Westbrook had a triple-double but not enough offensive help from teammates on a night where LeBron James served a one-game suspension and Anthony Davis had a quiet effort while battling non-COVID flu-like symptoms.

The Lakers (9-10) are back below .500 with Thanksgiving around the corner, a surprising truth for a franchise with championship expectations. They are 1-3 on a road trip that concludes Wednesday in Indiana.

The Lakers hoped to capitalize off an emotional victory two days earlier in Detroit with some much-needed momentum in an erratic season.

Instead, they found themselves down 10-0 to start Tuesday’s game. They trailed by 21 in the first quarter and 25 almost halfway through the second quarter before starting their rally.

Westbrook was the catalyst with 18 third-quarter points but there would not be a memorable finish. Instead, reserve guard Immanuel Quickley drained four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to help the Knicks regain control.

“A hell of a fight by our guys to fight back in,” Lakers Coach Frank Vogel said. “We have to have a better start.”

They also have to shoot better down the stretch, a recurring theme over the last week.

They were 0 for 10 from from 3-point range in the fourth quarter against Milwaukee last Wednesday. They made only 2 of 11 behind the arc in the fourth quarter against New York.

“We got great looks,” Vogel said. “The ball was just going in and out.”

It did not help to be without James, forced to sit out by the NBA after elbowing Detroit center Isaiah Stewart in the face two days earlier.

The Lakers were not even sure they would have Davis, who was designated as questionable for the game. They found out half an hour before tip-off that he felt good enough to play, Vogel said.

“I just woke up not feeling well,” Davis said, mentioning a headache, cough, fever and body aches. “Fever broke, got in the car, shot straight here.”

He started slowly and finished with 20 points and six rebounds in 34 minutes. He made only 5 of 11 free-throw attempts.

Westbrook, for his part, had a thorough night — 31 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. The questions he faced afterward, though, were more about the team's struggles.

“It’s a process for everybody, including myself,” Westbrook said of the Lakers’ up-and-down season.

Third-year guard Talen Horton-Tucker continued to struggle, missing all eight of his shots and finishing without a point. He looked great in his first three games back from thumb surgery, averaging 23.3 points. However, he has averaged only 3.3 points in his last three games.

“It’s tough,” Vogel said. “Overall played a decent game, just didn’t finish.”

Former Lakers draft pick Julius Randle had 20 points and 16 rebounds for New York. Evan Fournier added 26 points for the Knicks, who improved to 10-8.