Knicks end losing streak with win over Nets; Brooklyn fans boo
NEW YORK—The Knicks are no longer the biggest losers in New York. The Brooklyn Nets look like the real Big Apple busts.
Carmelo Anthony had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Iman Shumpert scored a season-high 17 points, and the Knicks ended a nine-game losing streak with 113-83 romp Thursday night in the first meeting of the season between the city rivals.
The Knicks (4-13) snapped a tie with the Nets (5-14) for most losses in New York, winning the game and the crowd with a dominant second half that had Spike Lee and the rest of the fans wearing blue and orange cheering perhaps the Knicks’ most complete performance of the season.
Andrea Bargnani scored 16 before he was ejected in the fourth quarter, Knicks fans roaring in support of him standing up to Kevin Garnett.
Brook Lopez had 24 points and nine rebounds for the Nets, who again played without Paul Pierce, Deron Williams, or much passion in the second half.
The game was nationally televised, as all four matchups are this season, but neither team had been giving fans much reason to watch. Nets coach Jason Kidd said Tuesday that both teams “stink,” and Anthony not only agreed but added that the Knicks were the “laughingstock” of the league.
Nobody was laughing at the Knicks on this night.
New York made a season-high 16 3-pointers in 27 attempts (59 percent), rediscovering a stroke that has been missing all season after it set an NBA record for makes in 2012-13, and led by as many as 34 points.
Shumpert, who has been the subject of trade rumors and has struggled, hit five 3s and added six rebounds.
The Nets hung in while the Knicks made 16 of their first 21 shots overall and trailed by only seven at halftime before their season-long woes in the third quarter returned, when the Knicks outscored them 34-16.
When the public address announcer urged fans to stand and cheer before the fourth, they responded by booing, clearly sick of watching Brooklyn get hammered over the previous 12 minutes yet again.
Clippers 101, Grizzlies 81
MEMPHIS, Tenn.—Reserves Darren Collison and Jamal Crawford scored 15 points each and Los Angeles used a strong second half to beat the Memphis.
Chris Paul also had 15 points and eight assists for the Clippers, who snapped a two-game losing streak. Blake Griffin added 14 points and nine rebounds, while DeAndre Jordan had 10 points and 14 boards for Los Angeles.
Kosta Koufos led Memphis with 17 points, while Mike Conley had 16 on 6-for-8 shooting. Quincy Pondexter scored 15, and Zach Randolph—back after missing two games following ingrown toenail surgery—had 12 points and 12 rebounds.
The Clippers shot 13 for 20 in the fourth quarter as Paul and Griffin sat on the bench, leaving the game to the backups.
The Clippers trailed 42-40 at the break before outscored Memphis 61-39 in the second half while shooting 56 percent. As Los Angeles pulled away in the fourth quarter, it was with the bulk of its starters on the bench. Jordan was the only starter to play down the stretch.
Los Angeles’ reserves ended the night outscoring their Memphis counterparts 50-31.
The first half was pretty sloppy with both teams shooting about 40 percent and committing 10 turnovers each. And is the case when the two get together it was chippy from the start. After meeting each other in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs the last two years, a rivalry has developed.
For the most part the stats were even in the first half. Both teams made two 3-pointers and had 21 rebounds.
Memphis’ seven-point lead in the second quarter, was erased with a 14-4 rally by the Clippers. The Grizzlies led 42-40 at the break.