Knicks 123, Clippers 111: Knicks end skid, snip the Clips

SB Nation

Tonight the Knicks (24*-13) hosted the surprisingly hot Los Angeles Clippers (13-23) at Madison Square Garden. Said us: we’re kinda worried, with New York having lost four straight games and needing a wind

to fill their sails for the upcoming West Coast trip. Said the Knicks: What, us worry?

The Clippers jumped out to a 14–5 lead and, despite the Knicks slowly coming to life, controlled most of the first quarter for a 31–27 edge. Deuce McBride traded buckets with Kawhi Leonard in the second and New York trailed 56-51 at halftime. New York flipped the game in a rugged third quarter behind Jalen Brunson’s 11-point burst and a collective defensive push, scoring 39 points to take a 90–87 lead into the fourth. From there, the Knicks pulled away, the Clippers got winded, and the victory was ours, 123-111.

From the field, the Knicks outshot the Clips from the field (50% to 43%) and from deep (42% to 36%), and controlled the glass, 48 to 40. Jalen Brunson led the good guys with 26 points on an uber-efficient 9-for-12 shooting, including 4-for-5 from deep, plus seven assists. OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns both scored 20. OG had been slumping of late but finished 8-of-10 from the field, 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. For KAT, the shots weren’t falling, so he feasted around the rim in the second half, grabbed 11 rebounds, and dished a season-high seven dimes. Mikal Bridges filled the gaps with 15 points (7-for-14), nine rebounds, and five assists (+10), and Miles McBride added 16 with four threes (4-for-11).

Off the bench, Jordan Clarkson scored 12 (5-for-9), Guerschon Yabusele hit both his threes for eight points, and Mitchell Robinson logged nine rebounds and 2 blocks in 24 minutes (+14). The sneaky swing stat was Tyler Kolek’s +19 in 13 minutes, paired with five assists and four rebounds.

The Clippers were carried by their core: Kawhi Leonard (25 points on 10-for-20), James Harden (23 points, 9 assists, 7-for-7 FT), Ivica Zubac (22 points on 11-for-14 with 11 rebounds), and John Collins (18 points, 10 rebounds).

First Half

The Knicks stumbled out of the gate, missing four of their first six shots as the Clippers raced to a 14–5 lead, but New York steadied itself with an 8–0 run to pull back into the game. Midway through the period, Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele were the first off the bench. At the 4:30 mark, Jalen Brunson briefly put the Knicks ahead with a three before Brook Lopez answered with one of his own.

Despite the swings, Los Angeles largely dictated the flow, shooting 46% from the field and 38% from three while getting to the line more often. The Knicks matched the Clippers on the glass, but three turnovers allowed LA to maintain control for three-quarters of the frame.

For the Clips, Harden led the way with nine points, supported by Leonard, Zubac, and John Collins. For New York, the offense came in fits and starts: OG Anunoby and Brunson scored seven apiece, but Karl-Anthony Towns was sputtering early. When the buzzer buzzed, New York was on the wrong end of a 31-27 score.

Deuce McBride ignited the Knicks early in the second, scoring 11 of New York’s first 15 points as the game tightened. Gradually, New York was able to tie the game midway through the quarter, but a lead remained elusive. At 2:23, Brunson tied the game again with another triple, but Leonard scored five unanswered points to regain some distance. The 34-year-old vet continued to score at will from anywhere, drew contact, and showed his hallmark defensive prowess, closing out strong on perimeter shooters. He had five points in the first quarter and 16 in the second, helping his team reach a 56-51 lead at halftime.

Towns played a role in the Knicks’ second-quarter surge, getting to the foul line, sweeping the boards, and dishing the ball. Offensively, though, he remained a mixed bag. On the positive side, in one half he’d doubled his total field goal attempts from the Detroit loss on Monday, but converted only 25% of them and continued to go cold from deep.

L.A. shot 48% from the field and 41% (9-of-22) from deep, outrebounded New York (21–19), and won the paint, 22–18. New York actually shot better from three (8-of-18, 44%). Both teams committed six turnovers. Leonard led all scorers with 21 points and Collins had grabbed eight boards. For the Knicks, McBride led the way with 14.

Second Half

The third quarter started as a grind, with the momentum swinging back and forth in short bursts. The Clips had a counterpunch for every Knicks swing.

Brunson was the Knicks’ motor, sustaining the offense during a choppy stretch. Collecting 11 points in the frame, Cap cooked from all three levels, knocked down a key three, converted at the line, and created shots for others.

Thanks to Jalen’s steady hand and Yabusele’s triple, the Knicks finally regained a lead around the middle of the quarter. Leonard and Harden promptly flipped that, but the Knicks were finally clicking. Although a dud offensively, KAT impacted the game on the glass and as a passer, setting up Brunson and Bridges. Anunoby and Bridges knocked down key buckets, Mitchell Robinson finished around the rim, and the Knicks strung together stops to flip the score for good. Thanks to a 39-point scoring explosion in the quarter, the home team took a 90-87 lead into the fourth.

Los Angeles is the oldest team in the league. They looked it in the fourth. KAT began to assert himself more in the paint, and Leonard stalled out for the opposing team. Yabusele delivered some productive minutes off the bench, knocking down a three, finishing inside, and cleaning the glass. Meanwhile, Robinson stuffed at the rim, and before we knew it, New York was sitting on a 15-point lead.

The Clippers got a lift from Zubac, Dunn, and Collins, cutting the lead to nine before Anunoby swished from outside. With 1:30 left and his team trailing by 13, Ty Lue hoisted a white flag and sent in the scrubs.