RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
NEW YORK (AP) -- Much to Jeff Van Gundy's dismay, folks are
calling the new lineup the "Big Backcourt."
Much to his delight, it's working.
|  | | Corey Maggette goes up for a shot over Glen Rice, who led the Knicks with 21 points. |
Glen Rice scored 21 points and Latrell Sprewell and Allan
Houston added 19 apiece Monday night as the New York Knicks had
their highest-scoring game and largest margin of victory this
season in a 106-78 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Knicks shot 56 percent, led by 19 at halftime and turned it
into a rout early in the third to improve to 4-1 since going to the
"Big Backcourt" starting lineup of Rice, Sprewell and Houston.
"I hate that moniker. I hate it. I am so sick of that," Van
Gundy said. "I think, at times, when we are forceful and energetic
on offense, it's been good."
Kurt Thomas shot 7-for-8 from the field and added 14 points, and
Chris Childs had a season-high 11 assists as the Knicks avenged a
four-point loss to the Clippers three weeks ago.
Rice has led the Knicks in scoring all three times they have won
by at least 25 points.
Van Gundy said before the game that the Clippers would be good
enough to contend for a playoff spot if they were in the East, but
it sure didn't look that way. With Los Angeles playing lethargic
defense and repeatedly getting beat inside, the Knicks took over
late in the first quarter and didn't let up until opening a
34-point lead early in the fourth.
"It allows three very good perimeter players to be in at the
same time, and we can all play inside and out," Houston said of
the new starting backcourt. "To me, when you have the three of us
in you aren't going to find three guys capable of guarding us."
Van Gundy went to the oversized backcourt with no true point
guard after Charlie Ward went down with a knee injury. Despite
their suspect ballhandling skills and lack of defensive quickness,
the threesome has meshed well.
"In the games we've gone out and executed the offense, we've
proven to be a very dangerous team," Rice said.
Childs checked in with the Knicks leading 25-20 and had five
assists over the next 12 minutes as the Knicks used a 32-13 run to
open a 24-point lead.
"For five games after the lineup switch I was paying too much
attention to things I couldn't control, like Jeff's decision,"
Childs said. "I was disappointed. It was kind of like a slap in
the face, but I talked to myself and said when I'm out there I'll
make the best of it."
Clippers coach Alvin Gentry, who had been complaining throughout
the first quarter and a half, was ejected by referee Rodney Mott
shortly before the run ended late in the second quarter.
Rice had an emphatic two-handed dunk early in the third to make
it 64-45, and Sprewell and Rice followed with jumpers.
A 3-pointer by Larry Johnson and a layup by Thomas made it
83-55, and Houston hit a jumper early in the fourth to make it
94-60.
"What can I say. Every team has one game like that," Gentry
said. "It was a disaster."
Game notes
Rookie Darius Miles led the Clippers with 13 points. ...
Clippers assistant coach Dennis Johnson filled in after Gentry was
ejected. ... Luc Longley and Travis Knight checked in with 9:46
left, signaling the start of garbage time. Longley finished with
three points and two rebounds in 10 minutes -- his more extensive
playing time in four games. ... New York's previous season high was
103 points in an overtime victory at Boston. ... The Knicks'
previous largest victory was by 25 points against both the Hawks
and Grizzlies. ... Actor David Hasselhoff of "Baywatch" fame sang
the national anthem.
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NBA Scoreboard
LA Clippers Clubhouse
New York Clubhouse
RECAPS
New York 106
LA Clippers 78
Denver 105
Philadelphia 98
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