Clippers top Knicks to extend win streak

Lou Williams scored 15 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter as the surging Los Angeles Clippers ran their winning streak to five games with a 124-113 victory over the New York Knicks.

Danilo Gallinari added 26 points and hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 4:12 remaining to hand his former team their 60th loss of the season.

Williams scored 12 points in Los Angeles’ 21-9 game-ending run by hitting two three-pointers, two jumpers and two free throws.

Gallinari reached 20 points for a career-high ninth straight game and sparked the run with a wide-open three-pointer from the left wing.

The Knicks held a 104-103 lead on a free throw by Damyean Dotson with 4:24 remaining but their defense followed Montrezl Harrell in the paint. The forward kicked the ball out to Gallinari, who had plenty of time to release the shot and give Los Angeles a 106-104 lead.

The performances by Williams and Gallinari down the stretch enabled Los Angeles to win for the 10th time in 11 games.

Harrell added 24 points for the Clippers, who shot 44.2 per cent and hit 15 three-pointers while beating the Knicks for the 13th time in 14 meetings.

The Knicks (14-60) lost their fourth straight game and for the 12th time in 13 games since February 26. The Knicks must win at least three of their eight remaining games to avoid tying or exceeding the worst record in team history.

Emmanuel Mudiay led the Knicks with 26 points while former Clippers center DeAndre Jordan totaled 20 points and 13 rebounds. Dotson added 18 but the

Knicks missed five of their last seven shots and committed two turnovers in the final 4:24.

The Knicks were without Dennis Smith Jr (back), Noah Vonleh (sprained left ankle) and rookie Allonzo Trier (calf strain).

They also lost rookie Kevin Knox due to a sprained right ankle after he landed awkwardly on Patrick Beverley’s left foot on a three-point attempt with 32 seconds left in the second quarter.

The Clippers built a 40-26 lead on a dunk by Harrell with 8:37 left in the second but the Knicks outscored Los Angeles 33-20 the rest of the way and were within 60-59 at half-time.

New York took its second one-point lead at 63-62 on a jumper by Mudiay early in the third but the Clippers used a 12-2 run to take a 74-65 lead on a three-pointer by Beverley with 7:32 remaining.

The Knicks continued to hang around and Los Angeles (44-30) held a 89-84 lead going into the fourth but were undone by Williams down the stretch.

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