The Sports Xchange
Nov 20, 2017
NEW YORK -- Kristaps Porzingis scored 25 points and reserve guard Doug McDermott added 16 as the New York Knicks defeated the slumping Los Angeles Clippers, 107-85 on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
Porzingis shot 7 of 20 and scored at least 25 points for the 10th time as New York ended a 10-game losing streak to the Clippers despite shooting 43.2 percent and committing 22 turnovers.
Blake Griffin had 21 points on 6 of 17 shooting to lead the Clippers, who got just 15 points from their starting lineup and lost their ninth straight. Wesley Johnson had 13 for Los Angeles and DeAndre Jordan added 10.
New York responded to a furious Clippers rally with an extended streak of its own and rebounded from its loss of the season, a 23-point defeat at Toronto on Friday.
After ending the first quarter with the score tied at 20, New York outscored the Clippers 36-24 in the second as the Knicks' starters dominated Los Angeles. New York's starters had 31 second-quarter points, including 10 by Tim Hardaway Jr., while holding the Clipper starters to just 10, including eight by Blake Griffin.
New York extended the lead to 17 with 10 minutes left in the second half before the Clippers went on a 15-0 run behind Jordan's six straight points.
The Knicks countered with a 17-2 run of their own as McDermott took over with three 3-pointers in a four-minute stretch.
New York eventually led by as much as 24 in the fourth quarter but the Clippers as six Knicks finished in double-figures.
Porzingis, who had one of his worst games of the season on Friday against the Raptors, finishing with 13 points on 3 of 13, scored nine points in the third quarter when the Knicks regained control. New York had six players in double figures, including Hardaway's 13 and Enes Kanter, who had 12 points and 16 rebounds.
New York survived the turnovers by outrebounding Los Angeles, 51-36. The Knicks also hit 24 of 25 free throws and improved to 8-3 at home. Porzingis and Kanter combined to go 15 for 15 from the line.
NOTES: The Clippers' nine-game losing streak ties for their worst of the Blake Griffin era. In 2010, Griffin's second season, lost nine straight from Nov. 5-Nov. 20. ... G Patrick Beverley made his return for the Clippers after a five-game absence due to a sore knee. Beverley had nine points in 22 minutes. ... New York will stay at home on Wednesday for a rematch with Toronto.