(*T*M*C) When you talk about NYC and LA, the red carpet is soon to follow. The biggest and brightest tend to dominate the stage. Lights, cameras, and not enough action as the Los Angeles Clippers smacked the New York Knicks 93-80. Chris Paul guided the Clippers with 20 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds and their balance was the story of the game. Caron Butler produced 15 points and 5 rebounds. Blake Griffin added 12 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. One-time Knick, Chauncey Billups dropped 12 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds. DeAndre Jordan contributed 8 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks. Another one-time Knick, Jamal Crawford came off the bench with 12 points.
The Knicks were led by Raymond Felton 16 points(2-4 3-pt), 9 assists and 3 rebounds. Chris Copeland had a nice game with 13 points(3-4 3-pt), 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Jason Kidd was solid off the bench with 11 points(3-5 3-pt), 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Steve Novak provided 9 points(3-3 3-pt), which ended a streak where he missed 12 straight. JR Smith did have 17 points but he was absolutely horrible shooting 4-20(20%) from the field which included 1-7(14.3%) from long distance.
The 1st Quarter started with New York sprinting to a 13-5 lead. The Knicks made 5 of 7 FGs and were 3-3 from deep. Felton along with Copeland set the pace notching 6 & 5 points, respectively. New York followed that with a 2-14 drought and finished shooting at 33.3%. Los Angeles was lifted by the energy of DeAndre Jordan with 6 points as they closed the 1st Quarter up 21-18.
The 2nd Quarter was marred by the Knicks shooting 6-22(27.3%). JR Smith had 10 of the 19 points for New York. Now, even though they were atrocious over the last 12 minutes, “I liked the way we got out and defended, ” said Head Coach Mike Woodson. That was key in producing a 31-31 tie at the 6:35 mark. Los Angeles looked to Jamal Crawford(7 points) and Chris Paul(6 points) to re-establish the tempo that makes the Clippers so dangerous. New York fought hard but a 13-6 run by Los Angeles enabled a 44-37 halftime advantage.
Both teams shot well in the 3rd Quarter, Knicks 44.4% and Clippers 48%. Los Angeles was on the verge of blowing out New York with a 16-7 run as the tempo matched their personality. Blake Griffin & Caron Butler each scored 8 points while Chris Paul added 7 points. Jason Kidd kept the Knicks around with 9 points, hitting 3 straight from downtown but still trailing 65-53. Chris Copeland scored 5 points but the Clippers ended the quarter leading 72-60.
Los Angeles began the 4th Quarter on a 7-0 run. New York shot 8-20(40%) down the stretch. Chauncey Billups & Ryan Hollins each had 5 points to help keep the Knicks at bay. Raymond Felton scored 8 points & Steve Novak contributed 6 points as New York continued to fight. The Clippers sealed the deal by forcing JR Smith to shoot 0-8 in the quarter as the Knicks went up in flames.
This road trip cannot end soon enough. New York has lost their last 4 games by an average of 20 points. If the Brooklyn Nets defeat the Atlanta Hawks at the Barclays Center tonight, there will be a tie atop the Atlantic Division. Just what New York City needs, more drama. (*T*M*C)
Written by Shelby Spencer
The Morning Crap 