The Los Angeles Clippers will take aim at reaching the .500 mark for the first time since early in the season when they host the New York Knicks on Monday night.
The Clippers were last at .500 on Nov. 3 after losing to the Miami Heat and falling to 3-3. That setback was the first of 19 in a 22-game span as Los Angeles dropped to 6-21.
The Clippers had two recent chances to hit the break-even mark but lost both times, including a 116-112 road setback to the San Antonio Spurs on Friday.
Los Angeles bounced back with a 123-120 win over the host Memphis Grizzlies one night later to get back into position.
That victory was the Clippers’ fourth in five games, and coach Tyronn Lue was impressed with it as it came on the second end of a road back-to-back.
“Guys were fatigued,” Lue said. “We had a tough loss (Friday) night, but we just kept being positive in the huddle, just telling the guys to keep making the push, keep making the run.
“It starts with our defense, and we were able to get some stops, get out in transition and score some baskets.”
The Grizzlies came out storming with a 41-point first quarter and led by as many as 19 before Los Angeles rallied with a 35-point second quarter to make it a game.
Kawhi Leonard scored 28 points, Darius Garland added 21 and reserve Bennedict Mathurin had 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Backup forward Isaiah Jackson was acquired along with Mathurin in the deal in which big man Ivica Zubac was sent to the Indiana Pacers. He made a big contribution Saturday with 12 points and 12 rebounds off the bench.
“He plays hard and competes,” Lue said of Jackson. “He’s a guy that can switch and guard the basketball, offensive rebound, runs the floor, and can get behind the defense on pick-and-rolls.
“… It was just a game for him, and we needed his athleticism and his ability to switch. He did a good job for us.”
The contest with the Knicks is the first of a five-game homestand for the Clippers. It also is the third of a five-game road trip for New York.
The Knicks blasted the Denver Nuggets 142-103 on Friday night before falling 110-97 to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
New York never led against Los Angeles and trailed by as many as 23 points. The Knicks were sloppy and committed 19 turnovers.
“(The Lakers) had something to do with it. They’re a great team,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “… But I thought we had some controllables that we didn’t do a good job of taking care of, and that’s the frustrating part. We didn’t give ourselves much of a chance to win the ballgame at any point and that’s what’s frustrating.”
New York was a meager 8-of-34 (23.5%) shooting from 3-point range and was unable to take advantage of the absence of injured LeBron James.
Brown was particularly irked that Los Angeles had a 15-9 edge in second-chance points.
“Second-chance opportunities for 15 points,” Brown said. “That’s something we don’t give up. We can’t get beat in that area and it was due to our inability to put bodies on bodies in boxing out.”
Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and 16 rebounds and Jalen Brunson added 24 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the Knicks.
Mikal Bridges was scoreless and missed all six shots (four 3-point attempts) in 27 minutes.
Brunson scored 26 points when the Knicks produced a 123-111 home victory over the Clippers on Jan. 7. Leonard scored 25 points for Los Angeles.
