By BETH HARRIS – AP Sportswriter
LOS ANGELES (AP) — RJ Barrett had 24 points and nine rebounds and the Knicks dominated the Los Angeles Clippers in a 116-93 win Sunday night that sent New York’s seven-game loss into a spin.
Immanuel Quickley added 21 points from the bench and Cam Reddish had 15 of his 17 points in the fourth for the Knicks, who used big scoring runs to open the second and fourth quarters of a game in which they led by 32 points.
“Tonight the fight was there from start to finish,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau. “Hopefully we can build on that.”
Reserve Amir Coffey scored 16 points to lead the Clippers, whose five-game winning streak ended at the hands of one of the East’s worst teams.
“It feels great to get this win. We really needed that,” Mitchell Robinson said. “They played so well too.”
The Knicks scored the first 10 points of the fourth, led by Reddish with eight to extend their lead to 90-68. Barrett was the only starter left against the Clippers’ reserves until he sat down with five minutes left.
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The Knicks capitalized on another strong start in the third to take a 74-48 lead. They opened on a 15-8 run, taking six points from Robinson and four from Barrett.
“The ball was moving and the energy was high,” Robinson said.
Reggie Jackson missed a one-handed dunk during a 20-6 sprint that sent the Clippers fourth behind 80-68. Five players scored, with Coffey hitting a 3-pointer and taking four free throws.
“They came out with more energy than we did and they just look like they want it more,” Coffey said.
The Knicks built a 19-point lead by beating the Clippers 34-18 in the second quarter. New York opened with 16 straight points, making 8 of 8 free throws and grabbing eight points from Barrett. He finished the quarter with 16 points.
“The tone of the game was set by the starters for the first five minutes,” said Thibodeau. “The defense was really good and the willingness to make an extra pass gained momentum offensively.”
The Clippers didn’t score until the middle of the second with Luke Kennard’s 3-pointer — one of three he scored that period. They cut the lead to 11 points before New York closed on an 11-3 run to lead 59-40 at halftime.
“They played well and we played badly,” said Clippers coach Tyronn Lue. “You get a 30-point blowout with that combo. They hungered for victory.”
Knicks: Improved to 13-19 on the road. … Julius Randle was fined $50,000 by the league for pushing Phoenix Suns’ Cam Johnson forward, making contact with a referee who was trying to stop Friday’s altercation and refusing to respond participate in the subsequent investigation. … Taj Gibson did not play due to illness.
Clippers: They were outrebounded 57-43. … Paul George, who has been out since December with a torn ligament in his right elbow, shoots with his right hand, which coach Tyronn Lue says is “much better I think”. … Her five-game winning streak included three wins over the Lakers and two over Houston.
Knicks: In Sacramento on Monday in the second game of a back-to-back.
Clippers: Tuesday at the Golden State. The Clippers won by 15 points last month and are 2-1 with the Warriors this season.
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