The Los Angeles Clippers saw their impressive seven wins in eight games run come to a halt with a disappointing 123-111 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night, dropping their record to 13-23 while the Knicks improved to 24-13 and snapped their own four-game losing streak.
James Harden returned from a one-game absence due to a sore right shoulder and contributed 23 points and nine assists, but Los Angeles couldn’t sustain their strong first-half performance, getting outscored 33-24 in the decisive fourth quarter as their offense stalled when it mattered most at The Garden.
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Kawhi Leonard looked like his dominant self early, pouring in 21 points in the first half to help Los Angeles build a 56-51 halftime lead, but the star forward went completely cold after the break, adding just four more points and going scoreless in the crucial fourth quarter when his team desperately needed offensive production.
Leonard finished with 25 points on 10-of-20 shooting but his inability to score late allowed New York to key their defense on other players.
“I thought defensively we did some really good things, and Brunson really took over the game down the stretch,” said Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue after the loss.
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“Kawhi, I think offensively, had a really good first half, but in the second half, they said they were not going to let him play, they blitzed his pick-and-rolls and were packing the paint, and we just couldn’t make shots in that second half.”
After controlling most of the first half and maintaining their defensive intensity through three quarters, the Clippers watched helplessly as Jalen Brunson torched them for 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-5 from three-point range, while Karl-Anthony Towns dominated the fourth quarter with 10 of his 20 points in the final frame.
Los Angeles suffered through a devastating 24-7 Knicks run that started late in the third quarter and extended into the fourth, watching an 87-83 lead transform into a 105-92 deficit that essentially ended any hopes of a comeback.
Ivica Zubac provided one of the few bright spots with 22 points on an efficient 11-of-14 shooting and 11 rebounds, but the Clippers’ role players couldn’t provide enough support when the stars struggled.
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The loss is particularly frustrating for Los Angeles given their recent surge, having won seven of their previous eight games to climb within striking distance of the Western Conference play-in positions, and now they’ll need to regroup quickly as they continue their difficult road trip while trying to salvage what’s been a disappointing season.