| Ready For The Road: L.A. Clips Knicks Authored by Graham Flashner - February 2, 2005 - 12:11 am
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The Clippers needed a momentum-builder before heading into a monster road trip.
The New York Knicks were only too happy to oblige. Though they shot well and played with energy, they did their usual fourth quarter swan dive, enabling the Clips to escape with a 96-89 win.
These days, there’s no get-well remedy that works as quickly as playing the beleaguered Knicks, who have not yet popped the parachute on their freefall. Losers of 9 of 10, with a pitiful 2-13 mark for the month of January, the Knicks’ implosion is notable even by their dysfunctional standards. After beginning the New Year atop the weakest division in the NBA, they’re on a fast track to the bottom, their playoff hopes fading faster than winter sunlight.
The Clippers had their own issues. With leading scorer Corey Maggette out for at least a week with a sprained shoulder joint, they welcomed the return of Marko Jaric to the starting lineup. Jaric, who hadn’t started a game since December 19, scored 15 points and dished out 7 assists, one of five Clippers in double-figures. The Knicks, however, had 6, and seemed determined from the outset to reverse their slide.
Sparked by rookie Trevor Ariza, they shot 70% in the first quarter, looking worthy of a team that Pistons coach Larry Brown had earlier said was one he had “dreamed about coaching many times.” Ariza, a fixture in the New York lineup since Herb Williams replaced Coach Lenny Wilkens, made all four of his shots in the first quarter, then practically disappeared, scoring no more field goals the rest of the way.
With Stephon Marbury (20 points) and Jamaal Crawford (19) breaking down the Clippers’ defense, the Knicks shot out to an 8-point second quarter lead. But the Clips countered with their inside tandem of Elton Brand (24 points, 10-19 shooting) and Chris Kaman (18 points, 10 rebounds). Brand, who also blocked five shots, punished the Knicks big men down low. No one looked more helpless than Mike Sweetney, who went scoreless in 17 minutes, and, in one memorable exercise in futility, spun on Brand in the lane and twice tried to pump-fake him, before getting his shot soundly rejected.
Still, the Knicks led 51-45 at the half. But a 27-18 third quarter by the Clippers, paced by Brand and Jaric (17 points combined) gave the Clips the lead heading into the fourth. The final twelve minutes was a perfect illustration of why Mike Dunleavy has post-season hopes for his team – and why Larry Brown may have firmly re-stated his commitment to Detroit.
After shooting 61% in the first half, the Knicks shot 42% in the fourth quarter with six turnovers. As the Clippers turned up the defensive pressure, the Knicks backcourt came unglued. The game turned on back-to-back steals by Jaric (he had six of the Clippers 12)– first picking Jamaal Crawford’s pocket on a breakaway steal, then stepping in front of a Marbury pass and feeding Chris Kaman for a jam- that triggered an 8-0 run, giving the Clips an 87-81 lead they never relinquished.
“Jamaal scored a couple of points on me before and I just got a bit more aggressive,” said Jaric.
Though the Knicks crept back to 87-86, they couldn’t keep L.A. off the boards when it counted. Twice in the last two minutes, the Clips grabbed offensive rebounds, one leading to a clutch shot by Quinton Ross- just as the shot clock was about to expire – that extended the lead to 91-87.
Perhaps nobody was more frustrated than Marbury. He was virtually unstoppable for three quarters, penetrating at will, beating the double-teams with passes. But when the Clips’ defense tightened, he became stubborn. Four times in the last three minutes, Marbury hurled himself down the lane in traffic, only to have his shots blocked (by Brand), altered, or tossed too hard off the glass. The last miss was the most critical, with the Knicks, down 92-89, going for a quick two with 20 seconds to play.
“We gave up 18 offensive rebounds,’ Marbury lamented after the game. “We had a lot of turnovers. It’s hard to win when you’re playing like that.”
The Clippers 4th win in 5 games comes at a propitious time. They won’t be back at Staples Center until February 24. By the time they return, they will have played 9 straight on the road. But 7 of those games are against the East, against whom the Clips are 11-4. Elton Brand, for one, was confident.
“To succeed on this trip, we need to come with intensity, and we need to play smart,” said Brand. “If we execute well, we can compete with any team.”
Clipboard: The Knicks have dropped all 6 games against the Clippers at Staples Center since it opened in 1999… and, since Allan Houston scored 53 in a win over the Lakers in February 2003, have lost 13 straight games in the Pacific time-zone... all of Elton Brand’s 8 rebounds came in the second half… Jaric’s return to the starting lineup ended a streak of 21 consecutive games started by Rick Brunson… in his previous 7 NBA seasons, Brunson had made a total of 12 starts.
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