Derrick Rose paces Knicks’ upset of Clippers

Buoyed by the three-point shooting of Reggie Bullock and playmaking ability of Derrick Rose, the New York Knicks ran past the Los Angeles Clippers, 106-100, at the Staples Center on Sunday, May 9 (Monday, May 9, Manila time).

Rose led the Knicks with 25 points and 8 assists off the bench. Bullock finished with 24 points on 5-for-12 shooting from behind the arc. RJ Barrett added 18 points and 7 rebounds, while Julius Randle chipped in 14 points and 14 rebounds.

The Knicks finished a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line. New York played solid perimeter defense, holding the NBA’s top three-point shooting team to just 12-of-35 (34.3%) from beyond the arc.

Kawhi Leonard topped the Clippers with 29 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. However, Leonard struggled finding his shooting stroke, finishing 9-for-26 (34.6%) from the field.

Paul George contributed 18 points and 8 rebounds, while Reggie Jackson totaled 12 points. Nicolas Batum added 13 points off the bench.

With the win, New York (38-30) remained the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, pushing their record to 3-2 on a six-game road trip that finishes with a contest against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

The Clippers (45-23) maintained their grip on the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference despite the loss, a game ahead of the No. 4 seed Denver Nuggets (44-24).

The Clippers ended a four-game homestand at 2-2 and now finish the regular season with 4 games on the road.

Los Angeles led by as many as 10 points in the 1st quarter and led 29-26 at the end of the period. However, the Knicks outscored Los Angeles 30-25 in the 2nd quarter to take a 56-54 lead into halftime.

The Knicks extended that lead to 5 points by the end of the 3rd quarter. The Clippers managed to cut their deficit to 3 points in the 4th quarter but could get no closer the rest of the way. – Rappler.com