RJ Barrett and the New York Knicks (26-38) will travel to crypto.com Arena to take on the LA Clippers (34-32) in part of the NBA Sunday slate. It was the Knicks who came out on top in this one as they coasted to a 116-93 win over the Clippers to snap their seven-game losing streak.
It has been a truly disappointing season for the New York Knicks and their 1-11 record in their previous 12 games entering this matchup puts it fully into perspective. Could handily defeating the Clippers help New York to build positive momentum?
The Knicks have been receiving highly impressive play from RJ Barrett over the last few months and he continued to deliver in this one—finishing with 24 points, nine rebounds, and four assists.
It was the bench unit that offered the greatest support for Barrett among his Knicks teammates. Immanuel Quickley racked up 21 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists while Cam Reddish chipped in 17 points.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Why Some Inside Knicks Hold “Concern” About Julius Randle
Now, the bizarre play of Julius Randle continued and he shot just 4/16 (25.0%) from the floor in this game and attempted just one shot from deep on the night. He’s rapidly regressing to the point where New York may need to dump him in a hurry when the offseason rolls around.
Following up a season that featured the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference with a campaign being well below .500 is deflating for any team. Randle’s sharp regression has been a key factor and it only seems to be getting worse as the season progresses.
Despite having neither Kawhi Leonard nor Paul George in the lineup, the Clippers have managed to continue to get the job done at an admirable level. However, clearly, they did not maintain their recent momentum in this game as they shot just 37.5% from the floor and 32.4% from deep.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Why Some Inside Knicks Hold “Concern” About Julius Randle
There still is optimism surrounding the potential returns of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard at some point for the LA Clippers. However, it remains to be seen when either player will be available, but regardless, they will be needed sooner rather than later if this level of poor offensive results was to continue.
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