Knicks rally from 17 down in fourth quarter, take lead before losing in overtime to Clippers
Knicks guard RJ Barrett plays the ball against Clippers guard Reggie Jackson in the first half of an NBA game at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
After missing Thursday night’s game against the Heat because of a non-COVID illness, Jalen Brunson was back in the lineup Saturday as the Knicks hosted the Clippers.
His teammates could understand his absence in that win, but what they couldn’t quite fathom was his failure to be named an Eastern Conference reserve in the NBA All-Star Game.
For much of Saturday night, Brunson put his credentials on display, contributing 41 points and seven assists — including a floater that gave the Knicks a 115-112 lead with 18.9 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
But Nicolas Batum hit a tying three-pointer with two-tenths of a second left, and the Clippers went on to earn a 134-128 overtime win.
The Knicks fell behind by 17 in the first minute of the fourth quarter but outscored the Clippers 34-14 before Batum tied it.
Julius Randle had 28 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for the Knicks (28-26), who have played a league-high nine overtime games and gone 3-6. Kawhi Leonard scored 35 points, Paul George 30 and Norman Powell 24 for the Clippers (30-26).
The Knicks pulled within 108-102 before Powell threw down a thunderous dunk that had the Clippers’ bench falling all over each other. Randle drove and kicked it out to RJ Barrett, who had misfired on all seven of his three-point attempts in this game and 12 straight in the last two games. He sank the three to draw the Knicks within five.
Isaiah Hartenstein threw down a powerful dunk against his former team with 1:50 left, and when
Brunson slithered to the rim and banked in a layup, it was a two-point game.
Marcus Morris misfired on a three-pointer and Brunson penetrated again, but this time he delivered a pass to an open Quentin Grimes in the corner for a three-pointer that gave the Knicks their first lead at 113-112 with 52 seconds to play. Brunson’s floater made it 115-112.
George missed a potential tying three-pointer, but Ivica Zubac scrambled for the offensive rebound. The Clippers swung it around the perimeter before finding Batum, who hit the tying three less than a second before time expired.
The Knicks were 0-for-2 with four turnovers through the first four minutes of overtime, and there would be no comeback. Powell and Leonard totaled 13 points and the Clippers shot 15-for-18 from the free-throw line in the five-minute period.
Brunson was left out of the top 10 in the fan vote for starters and was not selected as a reserve by the coaches. He still could land in the game as an injury substitution — after all, availability has been one of his trademarks — but the Knicks had a hard time understanding how he was left out.
Randle earned his second All-Star berth, named as a reserve by the coaches. He believed Brunson should be there, too.
“It’s a team effort, man,” Randle said Thursday. “It’s a team honor. The only thing that really [stinks] about it is I think Jalen should be right here with me.”
Brunson was a nominee for Eastern Conference Player of the Month in January, averaging 28.7 points and 5.4 assists per game and shooting 45% from beyond the arc. He has been a key contributor on the court and in the locker room, giving the Knicks the leader they have lacked.
“Night in, night out, not only the impact that he’s had on this team but me personally,” Randle said. “He takes a lot of weight off my shoulders, and he’s somebody I know I can trust every night to get the job done. And that goes for everybody on our team.’’
Tom Thibodeau said of Brunson: “He knows how good he is. He’s gonna need other people to tell him. You know, we all should be able to see it. You know, in my eyes, it was pretty clear-cut, but maybe I’m biased. I watch him every night and I see the impact.’’
Brunson said of Randle, “I was very happy for him, the way he’s playing all year. It’s a testament to how he’s welcomed me with open arms and just the way he’s been leading this team and he’s been special all year, so I was really excited when I saw that. As far as myself, I control what I can control and that’s something I can’t, so that’s just my mindset on it.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
