Blake Griffin scored 21 points as the L.A. Clippers knocked off the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. Griffin scored eight in the first quarter as the Clippers held on despite explosions by Timofey Mozgov (12 points in the first) and Amar'e Stoudemire (seven). Mozgov eventually disappeared, but Griffin stayed steady to help pace the Clips.
Clippers Vs. Knicks: Blake Griffin Leaves New York Doubting Itself As L.A. Wins
Randy Foye added 24 points (17 in the fourth) on 8-15 shooting (including 4-7 on threes), and Baron Davis had 16 (inefficiently scored) points and 16 assists. Mozgov and the Clippers' DeAndre Jordan each went 8-9 from the floor; it was a match-up that had to be seen to be believed.
As it turns out, the Knicks aren’t terribly better than the Clippers, despite the teams’ very different records. The Knicks are completely average, and the Clippers just below average. Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni reportedly crushed his team in the locker room after the game, and also said some mean things about them in public. But a loss like this is no surprise; the Knicks don’t defend well, and haven’t all season. As it turns out, Mozgov is indeed big. But size doesn’t equate to good defense. It helps, but it’s no magic bullet.
Speaking of magic bullets, fans in MSG chanted “We want ‘Melo!” That’s all well and good, but the draft isn’t until June, and I’m pretty sure Syracuse big man Fab Melo is going to wait another year before coming out.
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