2/5/08 L.A. Clippers-New York Knicks game story for the Los Angeles Daily News and Los Angeles Newspaper Group
Clippers show grit in winning over Knicks
By Denis Gorman, Special to the Daily News
Article Last Updated: 02/04/2008 10:30:27 PM PST
NEW YORK - During the morning shootaround, Sam Cassell talked about the Knicks. But if you looked beyond the surface, he was pontificating on the state of the Clippers.
"I think it comes down to the individual. The coach can't play the game," Cassell said. "Eighty percent of the game is playing hard; playing harder than your opponent and 20 percent is skill."
Hours later, Al Thornton made his teammate look prescient. Mere moments after an adoring Madison Square Garden crowd feted three members of the Super Bowl XLII Champion New York Giants - Sam Madison, R.W. McQuarters and Kevin Dockery - the rookie forward from Florida State grabbed a rebound of a blocked shot and laid it in.
The score sheet will say that it was only two of the 11 points he scored in the Clippers' 103-94 win over the moribund Knicks on Monday night, but it was the type of grit that teams need to consistently win in the NBA, the type of grit that characterized the Pacific Division's cellar dweller's first road win since Dec. 14.
Facing a team that had just come off a 0-5 West Coast trip, assistant coach Kim Hughes - who ran the bench because head coach Mike Dunleavy was back at the team hotel sick with the flu - was concerned that the Clippers would take the Knicks lightly.
"They're not the same team we played earlier in the season. They are playing much harder now," Hughes said. "(During the Knicks' 0-5 West Coast trip) in three of the five games, they were ahead in the fourth quarter; they just had trouble
making shots."
The Clippers (15-30) heeded Hughes' warning as they outrebounded New York 39-35 - including holding a 10-7 edge on the offensive glass - and they scored 25 points off of Knicks turnovers, a stat that grated on Isiah Thomas.
"I cautioned our team at halftime; I told them one thing we cannot do is have an excessive amount of turnovers that lead to transition baskets," the embattled Knicks coach said. "We had 20 turnovers which led to 25 points. That is tough to deal with."
At the half, the Knicks (14-34) led 60-51, mostly due to a 16-3 second-quarter run. Knicks center Eddy Curry was the focal point, as he scored 10 of his 16 first-half points.
Matched up against Josh Powell and Chris Kaman, Curry repeatedly bulled his way into the paint and flipped in baby hooks.
"I thought we were in big trouble," Hughes said. "It's a long game. You can't quit on guys. I thought our philosophy of how we should defend them was good. We just weren't
doing what we should."
In the second half, the defense held the Knicks center to three points. Curry and the Clippers' Corey Maggette tied for the game high with 19 points each.
"Much better (defense). Josh had seven rebounds which was really good. Josh has a tendency to be a little bit foul prone, but I thought he guarded (Zach) Randolph and caused two turnovers when he was physical with Randolph which were huge," said Hughes. "(As a team) we came quicker instead of waiting and being fairly inefficient on the double team. In terms of attacking (we) more aggressive. (Curry) had a tendency not to throw the ball quick enough (out of the double team)."
Prior to the game, Hughes said that he was going to monitor the minutes Kaman and Maggette played, since were playing for the first time in four games. Both had just finished bouts with the flu. Kaman scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds in 35:20 while Maggette played 26:14.
"They're huge because Tim Thomas couldn't play much tonight," said Hughes. "He didn't play the second half. He didn't want to start the game.
He gave us some valuable minutes but we missed his minutes (in the second half)."
Thomas said his back was tight after he woke up from his pre-game nap.
Knicks swingman and former Clipper Quentin Richardson scored 14 points in 15:35, before leaving the game in the second quarter with a sprained ankle.
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_8170238
By Denis Gorman, Special to the Daily News
Article Last Updated: 02/04/2008 10:30:27 PM PST
NEW YORK - During the morning shootaround, Sam Cassell talked about the Knicks. But if you looked beyond the surface, he was pontificating on the state of the Clippers.
"I think it comes down to the individual. The coach can't play the game," Cassell said. "Eighty percent of the game is playing hard; playing harder than your opponent and 20 percent is skill."
Hours later, Al Thornton made his teammate look prescient. Mere moments after an adoring Madison Square Garden crowd feted three members of the Super Bowl XLII Champion New York Giants - Sam Madison, R.W. McQuarters and Kevin Dockery - the rookie forward from Florida State grabbed a rebound of a blocked shot and laid it in.
The score sheet will say that it was only two of the 11 points he scored in the Clippers' 103-94 win over the moribund Knicks on Monday night, but it was the type of grit that teams need to consistently win in the NBA, the type of grit that characterized the Pacific Division's cellar dweller's first road win since Dec. 14.
Facing a team that had just come off a 0-5 West Coast trip, assistant coach Kim Hughes - who ran the bench because head coach Mike Dunleavy was back at the team hotel sick with the flu - was concerned that the Clippers would take the Knicks lightly.
"They're not the same team we played earlier in the season. They are playing much harder now," Hughes said. "(During the Knicks' 0-5 West Coast trip) in three of the five games, they were ahead in the fourth quarter; they just had trouble
making shots."
The Clippers (15-30) heeded Hughes' warning as they outrebounded New York 39-35 - including holding a 10-7 edge on the offensive glass - and they scored 25 points off of Knicks turnovers, a stat that grated on Isiah Thomas.
"I cautioned our team at halftime; I told them one thing we cannot do is have an excessive amount of turnovers that lead to transition baskets," the embattled Knicks coach said. "We had 20 turnovers which led to 25 points. That is tough to deal with."
At the half, the Knicks (14-34) led 60-51, mostly due to a 16-3 second-quarter run. Knicks center Eddy Curry was the focal point, as he scored 10 of his 16 first-half points.
Matched up against Josh Powell and Chris Kaman, Curry repeatedly bulled his way into the paint and flipped in baby hooks.
"I thought we were in big trouble," Hughes said. "It's a long game. You can't quit on guys. I thought our philosophy of how we should defend them was good. We just weren't
doing what we should."
In the second half, the defense held the Knicks center to three points. Curry and the Clippers' Corey Maggette tied for the game high with 19 points each.
"Much better (defense). Josh had seven rebounds which was really good. Josh has a tendency to be a little bit foul prone, but I thought he guarded (Zach) Randolph and caused two turnovers when he was physical with Randolph which were huge," said Hughes. "(As a team) we came quicker instead of waiting and being fairly inefficient on the double team. In terms of attacking (we) more aggressive. (Curry) had a tendency not to throw the ball quick enough (out of the double team)."
Prior to the game, Hughes said that he was going to monitor the minutes Kaman and Maggette played, since were playing for the first time in four games. Both had just finished bouts with the flu. Kaman scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds in 35:20 while Maggette played 26:14.
"They're huge because Tim Thomas couldn't play much tonight," said Hughes. "He didn't play the second half. He didn't want to start the game.
He gave us some valuable minutes but we missed his minutes (in the second half)."
Thomas said his back was tight after he woke up from his pre-game nap.
Knicks swingman and former Clipper Quentin Richardson scored 14 points in 15:35, before leaving the game in the second quarter with a sprained ankle.
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_8170238
posted by Denis P. Gorman at 11:22 AM
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