LA the Clippers (32-32) beat New York Knicks (42-25) 126-118 at home on Monday, March 9.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Clippers had the better start, winning the first 28-24 to lead by 4 after one. The Clippers kept the pressure on with a 36-31 second quarter, carrying a 9-point lead into halftime.
The Knicks won the third 26-24 to stay in front, taking a 7-point lead into the fourth. The Clippers took the fourth 38-37; the Clippers finished the job for a 126-118 regulation win.
What decided it
The Clippers took better care of the ball, turning it over on 7.7% of possessions compared with 18.6% for the Knicks. The Clippers made 23.7 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 13.3 for the Knicks. Those extra possessions were crucial.
The Knicks did win one battle, second chances: ORB% of 34.1% against 19.6%. The Clippers made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 103 possessions per team, the Clippers produced 122.6 points per 100 possessions to 114.9 for the Knicks.
Who made the difference
Karl-Anthony Towns was the game's biggest individual force for NYK: 35 pts, 12 reb, 7 ast on 13-17 shooting. His Game Score of 32.1 led everyone. His team was -12 with him on the floor.
Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 29 pts, 7 reb, 8 ast on 10-19 shooting, good for a 27.6 Game Score.
Josh Hart (12 pts, 13 reb, 3 ast) and Karl-Anthony Towns (35 pts, 12 reb, 7 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 49% for the Clippers.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, LA the Clippers lead 2-1.
The Clippers are now 32-32, and the Knicks are 42-25. The Clippers last five before this game: W-W-W-L-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.