Knicks at Clippers
The New York Knicks are playing better since the All-Star break but still own the worst record in the Eastern Conference as they head toward the NBA draft lottery. The Los Angeles Clippers, who host the Knicks on Sunday, are going through a bit of a rebuild as well but are still managing to contend and sit in the No. 7 spot in the West.
The Clippers fell to a team above them in the standings at Utah on Wednesday but bounced back and came out even on the two-game trip by knocking off one of the teams chasing them with a 116-109 victory at Sacramento on Friday. "They played the game like they were going to win the game," Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers told reporters of his team. "Every time out they were yelling, 'Win!' I thought that was on their mind. They didn't know how we were going to win, but they wanted to win, and we played like that." New York had a chance to win three straight but dropped a 125-118 home decision to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, ensuring it would remain in last place in the East. "Totally let our foot off of the gas," Knicks coach David Fizdale told reporters. "We got casual. We get up 10 and decided we weren't going to get back on defense. I thought we got a little cool, got a little full of ourselves thinking that we had the game. There was a whole lot of time left in that game. They made us pay for it."
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, MSG (New York), FS Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE KNICKS (13-49): New York's main focus the rest of the way is developing its young players, and the team is pleased with what it's seen from rookies Allonzo Trier, Mitchell Robinson and Kevin Knox. "The growth, if we could say what we’ve seen up to this point, if we would have known that at the beginning of the year, I think we would have taken it," Fizdale told reporters. "With what (Trier) has done, what Kevin has done and what Mitchell has done — all three guys have shown great promise." Trier was the best of the bunch in Thursday's loss, finishing with 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting in 32 minutes off the bench.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (35-29): Los Angeles traded away leading scorer Tobias Harris prior to the deadline and is getting immediate contributions from one of the players acquired in return, point guard Landry Shamet. The rookie from Wichita State scored a team-high 20 points and knocked down five 3-pointers in Friday's victory - his highest-scoring output in eight games with the team. Fellow newcomer Ivica Zubac, who changed locker rooms after arriving from the Lakers last month, recorded his first double-double with the Clippers while recording 10 points and 10 rebounds against the Kings.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Clippers PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is 12-of-21 from the floor in the last two games after going 0-of-13 in the previous two contests.
2. Robinson is averaging four blocks over the last six games.
3. Los Angeles took 11 of the last 12 meetings.