The Los Angeles Clippers bounced back after a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday with a 101-94 victory over the New York Knicks, but almost let the game slip out of their hands as New York outscored the Clippers 44-40 in the second half.
Guards Chris Paul and J.J. Redick led the way for the Clippers with Paul, their star point guard, scoring a team-high 24 points and dishing out 15 assists. Redick dropped four three-point shots and scored 20 points to help Los Angeles pull out the win at the Staples Center.
Clippers center DeAndre Jordan was huge on the boards on Friday night grabbing 19 rebounds, and created havoc for the Knicks offense in the paint recording six blocks. The Clippers center has been doing it all season long as he is averaging a double-double this season with 12.5 points and 14.1 rebounds per game.
"Fouls and free throws got them back into the game, but we just stayed together," said Paul. "J.J. hit some big shots, DeAndre blocked some shots and we found a way to win."
Clippers small forward Jeff Green played a team-high 45 minutes Friday night, and has been a strong addition to the Clippers roster since they acquired him through trade in February. Green made six of his 11 shots from the field and recorded 17 points, six rebounds, four assists, and a block against the Knicks.
The Clippers currently sit in fourth place in the Western Conference following Friday's win, and head coach Doc Rivers is looking for his team to finish the season strong as they head into the final stretch. The Clippers will host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, hoping to get a big win over the Eastern Conference's top team.
While the Clippers continued to show why they are a playoff-bound group, the Knicks fought back but couldn't close it out in the end. New York's rookie power forward Kristaps Porzingis had another big game scoring 23 points, but it wasn't enough for the Knicks to pull out an upset on the road. Center Robin Lopez also had a strong performance against the Clippers recording a double-double with 20 points and 19 boards, but New York couldn't complete the comeback and now look forward to facing the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
