RJ Barrett collected 28 points, 14 rebounds and six assists as the New York Knicks snapped a three-game losing streak with a wire-to-wire, 110-102 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday afternoon.
Barrett hit 9 of 24 shots from the field and posted his third double-double of the season. He also hit all seven of his free throws in a stellar 43-minute showing.
Julius Randle totaled 24 points, nine rebounds and five assists and bounced back nicely from being held to four points in Thursday’s 102-91 loss to the visiting New Orleans Pelicans.
It marked the fifth time this season that Barrett and Randle scored at least 20 points in the same game, and the Knicks are 4-1 in those games.
Evan Fournier added 14 points and Alec Burks 10 as the Knicks shot 42.9 percent from the field, made eight of their first 12 3-pointers and went 16 of 36 in 3-point tries overall. New York held a 59-51 rebounding edge despite losing Mitchell Robinson to a sprained left ankle in the third quarter.
Reggie Jackson scored 26 points on 10-of-18 shooting as the Clippers dropped to 1-2 on their eight-game trip. Ivica Zubac totaled 17 and 14 rebounds while Luke Kennard added 14 points as the Clippers shot 43 percent from the field and were 14 of 41 from 3-point range.
Barrett’s left-handed, fast-break dunk put New York up 95-84 with 10:26 remaining, and his 3-point play made it 98-85 a little over a minute later. Jackson’s 3-pointer got the Clippers within 101-94 with six minutes left, but Barrett grabbed an offensive rebound to set up Randle’s layup and then made the pass to an open Fournier for a 3-pointer that gave New York a 106-94 lead with 4:52 left.
The Clippers were within 108-102 when Terance Mann intercepted Fournier’s inbound pass and hit a layup with 31.3 seconds left, but Burks made two free throws to ice the win.
The Knicks allowed the Clippers to shoot 66.7 percent from the field in the first quarter, but New York hit eight 3-pointers and held a 39-31 lead at the end of the period.
New York held a 56-43 lead on a 3-pointer by rookie Quentin Grimes with 5:54 remaining in the half, and the Clippers answered with a 15-3 run to get within 59-58 on Jackson’s 3-pointer with 1:14 remaining. The Knicks held a 66-61 lead by halftime after Barrett’s 3-pointer with 9.1 seconds remaining.
–Field Level Media