BJ Mathews is a credential NBA creator covering the LA Clippers for thePeachBasket.net. He is also a host of the Pull Up! Basketball Podcast. In this article, Clippers Clip Knicks’ Wings: Harden Leads the Charge in 105-95 Victory at Intuit Dome, he breaks down the Clippers win against the Knicks.
Clippers Clip Knicks: Game Summary
At Intuit Dome, the LA Clippers defeated the New York Knicks 105-95. The Clippers moved to 34-29 and the 8th seed in the Western Conference, while the Knicks dropped two in a row falling to 40-23 and stayed as the third seed in the Eastern Conference. Clippers HC Ty Lue‘s message to the team going into the playoff stretch: “”We just have to get better every single day. I know we’ve had a lot of guys out and rotations, but we have to get better every single day.“
In the final minutes of regulation, Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanavic converted on two tip in layups to extend the Clippers lead to nine points 100-91. At the end of the game, Bogdanavic spoke about earning Kawhi Leonard and James Harden’s trust: “I’m just looking for where there is space to attack. Having them on the floor makes the job easier. You just look around, see where to attack. Where is our advantage? It’s everywhere. But where’s our biggest advantage?” Clippers guard James Harden coming off of a 50 point game performance led both teams in scoring tallying 27 points. Harden had a big second quarter, where he finished the half with 19 points and 6 assists. Kawhi Leonard finished with 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.
At 21 games, outside of missing a few mid range shots, Leonard seems to be close to returning to full form. Knicks leading scorers were Karl Anthony Towns with 23 points and OG Anunoby with 22 points looking to make up for the missing production Jalen Brunson who is out with injury. Clippers center Ivica Zubac made his presence known early scoring the first seven points of the game putting them up 7-0. Zubac is averaging 15.4 ppg, 12.5 rpg off of 61% shooting from the field and has been a force all season.
Clippers Head Coach Ty Lue‘s message to the team going into the playoff stretch: ““We just have to get
better every single day. I know we’ve had a lot of guys out and rotations, but we have to get better every single day.“
Team Analysis
Knicks
The Knicks losing their All Star guard Jalen Brunson in the previous game vs the Los Angeles Lakers put the Knicks at a disadvantage missing his consistent and clutch scoring. Brunson suffered a sprained ankle that kept him out of the contest. That forced the Knicks to find offense from other players and score in different ways. While they kept the game competitive, they weren’t able to keep up with the Clippers scoring. With the absence of Brunson, the Knicks will have to lock in more on their defense with guys such as Anounoby, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges. They also need to pick up the scoring load, particularly guards Myles “Deuce” Mcbride and Cameron Payne.
Clippers
The Clippers defense has been consistently great this entire season ranking in the top 5 of the NBA. It is their team offense that has been struggling all season even with the presence of Kawhi Leonard. Over the last couple games, the Clippers are seeming to figure out that it can be a different person each and every night. Tonight, it was a collective effort with James Harden (27), Kawhi Leonard (20 ), and Ivica Zubac (16).
Key Moments and Stats
- Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanavic had back to back tip-ins to extend the lead in the 4th quarter.
- Clippers Forward Nicolas Batum scored 17 points (5-7 3%FG) leading both teams in scoring off the bench.
Upcoming Games
The Clippers have one more home game against the Sacramento Kings before going back on the road.
While the Knicks continue their West Coast road trip against the Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, and Golden State Warriors.
