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sports Monday 1 February 2021
Leonard, Clippers pull away from Knicks for 129-115 win

By BRIAN MAHONEY of its first 10 shots and led for ous high for points allowed
AP Basketball Writer a good part of the first half was 121 to Indiana in their
NEW YORK (AP) — Not even before the Clippers took a season opener. ... Reggie
the NBA's leading defen- 66-65 edge into the break. Bullock, who missed the last
sive team could slow down Los Angeles came back three games with a sore
the surging Los Angeles from the locker room with neck, returned to the start-
Clippers. seven straight points and ing lineup and scored eight
Kawhi Leonard scored 28 didn't slow down the rest of points. ... C Nerlens Noel
points and the Clippers the third quarter. Leonard was scratched shortly be-
rang up the highest point and Jackson each scored fore the game with a sore
total of the season against 10 points in the period, left groin.
the New York Knicks on when the Clippers made GET IN THE GAME
Sunday, winning 129-115 five 3-pointers and scored Thibodeau supports Dennis
for their 10th victory in 11 35 points, taking a 101-91 Smith Jr.'s request to play
games. lead to the fourth. for the Knicks' G League af-
The Clippers shredded Quickley scored eight Los Angeles Clippers small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) controls filiate to get some needed
the ball against New York Knicks center Taj Gibson (67) during
the NBA leaders in fewest straight points to cut a the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021, work. The former lottery
points per game allowed 10-point lead to 105-103, in New York. pick acquired two years
to break away after lead- but the Clippers answered Associated Press ago in the deal that sent
ing by one at halftime. with nine in a row to open Kristaps Porzingis to Dallas
Even playing without two a 114-103 advantage on Clippers: Nicolas Batum sat liams' 250th career game has appeared in just three
starters, they surpassed the Leonard's basket midway out with a left groin injury. with at least five assists off games this season.
102.7 points per game the through the period. An 8-0 Patrick Patterson started the bench surpassed J.J. "His attitude has been very
Knicks had been allowing run later in the fourth made and scored 13 points, go- Barea for the most such positive. He's worked hard
with their first basket of the it a 15-point game. ing 5 for 5 from the field with games in NBA history. in practice," Thibodeau
final quarter and kept pour- TIP-INS three 3-pointers. ... Lou Wil- Knicks: The Knicks' previ- said. q
ing it on in their third straight
victory.
"We're just a pretty good of-
fensive team," Paul George
said.
"We share the ball, we
move it, we look for the
open man, we emphasize
passing up good shots for
great ones and I think we
do a pretty good job of do-
ing that," he said.
Reggie Jackson added 18
points and George had 17
for the Clippers, who made
17 3-pointers and shot 54%
overall against a Knicks
team that led the league in
that category as well while
improving to 16-5.
"It's been a good ride so far
and I think we've got some-
thing special going on over
there," Clippers forward
Marcus Morris said.
Julius Randle had 27 points
and 12 rebounds for the
Knicks. Rookie Immanuel
Quickley added 25 points
and RJ Barrett added 23,
but scoring wasn't the
problem for a Knicks team
that had been limiting op-
ponents to 42.6% shooting.
"I thought offensively it
was good. Defensively it's
not what we would have
liked," Knicks coach Tom
Thibodeau said.
The game's start time was
moved up four hours by
the NBA to 1 p.m., though
neither that nor the Knicks'
good early shooting
seemed to bother the Clip-
pers. New York made eight