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LOS ANGELES — RJ Barrett erupted, Julius Randle didn’t get ejected and the Knicks didn’t blow a big lead as they ended their seven-game losing streak with a stunning 116-93 pounding of the Clippers on Sunday at Crytpo.com Arena.
In the third quarter, trailing by double digits, Clippers point guard Reggie Jackson roared in for a breakaway dunk and clanked it. Randle got the rebound and fired toward the basket on the other end for his own jam, smiling all the way downcourt.
In the morning, Randle, who was fined $50,000 by the NBA for his Cam Johnson fracas, sensed their losing ways were coming to a close.
“It’s got to turn soon,” Randle said in the morning. “Got to turn. As long as we’re playing with bliss.”
Blissful it was on the defensive end, holding the Clippers to 30 percent shooting in the first half while building a 19-point lead at intermission. The lead ballooned to 30 points in the fourth quarter.
The Knicks, who had lost 11 of 12, haven’t had a night like this in a long time. Randle was dead on in his prediction as the Knicks clobbered the Clippers, as Barrett continued his post-All-Star break surge with 24 points, nine rebounds and four assists, and Mitchell Robinson was again a terror at the rim (12 points, 11 rebounds). Randle shook off an 0-for-7 first quarter to finish with 10 points, eight rebounds and a lot of positive energy.
In the fourth quarter, a semi-loud “RJ Barrett’’ chant arose in the downtown LA arena.
Randle’s ejection in Phoenix cost the Knicks a victory and he reflected on how many bad breaks they’ve received.
“The unfortunate part is we haven’t been able to close so many of these games we’ve been in — what are we, 25-38?” Randle said at the morning shootaround. “We could be 38-25 very easily, as many games as we’ve lost down the stretch.”
The Knicks moved to 26-38 but are still 5 ¹/₂ games out of the No. 10 seed — which is the last slot for the play-in tournament. The Knicks beat a good Clippers squad, which fell to 34-32, and Monday get to go for two in a row when they face the moribund Kings (24-42).
On this night, the Clippers were simply awful. Jackson, a free agent the Knicks passed on, had his season’s worst outing — 11 points on 4-for-18 shooting, including 0-for-8 from 3.
Coach Tom Thibodeau sensed a breakthrough, too, despite their 0-4 record since All-Star weekend entering the Clippers’ match.
“Since the break we’ve played well in the Miami game, the two Philadelphia games, we should’ve won the Phoenix game,” Thibodeau said. “We got to keep our focus on togetherness and get out of this together.”
The Knicks blew out to a 59-40 halftime lead by playing punishing defense and a fast-paced attack that had the Clippers on their heels. For the second straight game, Robinson was cleaning the glass for offensive putbacks and finished 6-for-8 from the field, though he did miss all six of his free throws.
The Knicks led 25-22 after one despite Julius Randle going 0-for-7. Then Barrett and Randle got rolling and the Knicks piled it on.
Bouncing back from a terrible shooting night in Phoenix, Barrett finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the first half. Randle racked up six points in the second period — all on the fast break with him pushing the tempo. Alec Burks also heated up from deep and hit 4 of 6 3-pointers.
But setting the tone was the rim dominance of Robinson, who scored six points — all on putbacks — and had seven rebounds.
The Clippers’ offense was a shambles and they shot 16-of-50 in the first half. Jackson was just 3-for-13 — 0-for-6 from 3 — to lead the brick-a-thon and never got going. Marcus Morris, the former Knick, also was out of it — four points on 2-for-9 shooting. His trade to the Clippers brought the Knicks the draft pick that netted Immanuel Quickley, who lit it up for 18 points, four assists and several showboat gestures after his makes.
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