The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the New York Knicks 126-118 on Monday night. The win brings the Clippers to a .500 record for the first time since early November. The Clippers are now 32-32. They have won five of their first six games in March as they try to improve their potential position in the NBA Play-in Tournament.
Leonard Leads Clippers’ Offence
Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points for the Clippers. It was Leonard’s 42nd straight game with 20-plus points. This is the second-longest active streak in the NBA and third-longest in team history. Bennedict Mathurin added 28 points off the bench as one of five Clippers in double figures. Darius Garland had 23 points and seven assists in his second start.
Knicks’ Fightback Falls Short
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 35 points on 13-of-17 shooting, 12 rebounds and seven assists before fouling out in the final seconds. Jalen Brunson added 28 points and OG Anunoby had 22 points. Buoyed by chants of “Let’s go Knicks!” at Intuit Dome, New York cut its deficit from 15 points with a 17-9 run, including six in a row from Brunson, to go into the fourth trailing 88-81.
The Knicks three times closed within five over the final four minutes. However, the Clippers controlled the final two minutes. This was helped by Mathurin’s three-point play and a 3-pointer by Derrick Jones Jr.
Series Split and Upcoming Games
Standing third in the Eastern Conference race, the Knicks split the season series with the Clippers. They have not beaten them in Los Angeles since 2022. New York has dropped three of four.
The Clippers opened the game by making four consecutive 3-pointers. They led most of the first half, which ended in a scoring duel between Leonard and Towns. Leonard scored 10 in a row for the Clippers and Towns had eight straight for the Knicks, who trailed 64-55 at the break.
The Knicks visit the Utah Jazz on Wednesday. The Clippers host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.