Without their starting point guard Chris Paul, the Los Angeles Clippers came out of Madison Square Garden victorious against the New York Knicks in a high scoring game.
Blake Griffin Erupts in Opening Quarter
Blake Griffin displayed a scoring outburst in the first stanza of the game, dropping 18 points. Kristaps Porzingis, Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose combined 26 points for the Knicks. Both teams scored 36 points in the period which included nine ties and two lead changes.
Knicks and Clippers Continue to Score at Will
Los Angeles edged out the Knickerbockers 32-31 in the second quarter. Heading into halftime with a one-point lead, the Clippers shot 54 percent while the Knicks shot 56 percent from the field. New York shot a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line.
Derrick Rose Helps Knicks Take Lead
Porzingis did not play much in the third frame due to foul trouble. He picked up his fourth foul which forced head coach Jeff Hornacek to substitute him and give Mindaugas Kuzminskas more minutes. The offensive absence of KP didn’t affect the Knicks with Rose scoring 10 points. The Knicks outscored their opponents, 28-20 and led 95-88 heading into the final 12 minutes of the game.
Clippers Come from Behind to Earn Win
New York continued to have their scoring momentum at the beginning of the final quarter. That helped them earn their largest lead of the night with 10. Los Angeles countered and went on a 17-8 run in the final five minutes of the contest. Jamal Crawford scored nine points in the frame and converted on 3-of-4 of his shots.
Top Performers
Griffin led the way with 32 points, eight boards, and five assists. Center DeAndre Jordan notched 28 points and 15 rebounds. Guard J.J. Redick scored 14 points and Crawford contributed with 20 points off the bench.
Anthony finished with 28 points and nine boards. Porzingis concluded with 27 points and Rose tallied 20. Center Kyle O’Quinn, who got the start for the injured Joakim Noah, scored 18 points and grabbed 6 rebounds.
Quotes
In the post game interview, Hornacek said “I give our guys credit. We battled. They played hard and played together."
Jamal Crawford said after the game “Big win for us, obviously. It's good to get a win and come back [to] New York. Always fun playing here.”
Other Things to Note
During the first quarter, retired NBA player and former Knick Charles Oakley got involved in a skirmish near the seat of Knicks owner James Dolan. The Knicks public relations Twitter page released a statement saying “Charles Oakley came to the game tonight and behaved in a highly inappropriate and completely abusive manner. He has been ejected and is currently being arrested by the New York City Police Department. He was a great Knick and we hope he gets some help soon.”
According to the New York Daily News, witnesses said that Phil Jackson tried to calm Oakley in the hall while he was in handcuffs. An emotional Oakley was inconsolable and ranted about James Dolan saying “This is Dolan… Dolan F-----g did this.”
Oakley later gave his side of the story and described the incident as being felt "threaten".
Up Next
The Clippers will have a few days to rest before continuing their road trip and visiting the Charlotte Hornets on Sat., Feb. 11, at 5:00 p.m. E.T.
New York will continue their homestand and host Anthony’s former team, the Denver Nuggets on Fri., Feb. 10, at 7:30 p.m. E.T.