Clippers 106, Knicks 95: Scenes from the good vibes are long gone

Welp.

The New York Knicks made it a game, at least. That feels like small comfort when, just last week, they were the hottest team in the NBA. But those days are long gone. Jalen Brunson is hurt, the rest of the team is dog tired, and the games (and losses) just keep coming and coming.

The Knicks turned around a fairly rough first half right at the end, when Julius Randle scored seven straight points to give New York a two-point edge heading into halftime.

Sadly, this recent version of Randle is a lot closer to last season’s disaster than this season’s All-Star. And on Saturday, he took away much more than he giveth. He was called for a loose-ball foul with 0.3 seconds remaining in the third quarter and the Knicks clinging to a one-point lead. On top of that, he was charged with a technical. The Clippers hit all three free throws, and took the lead into the break. The Knicks never recovered.

Kawhi Leonard (38 points) and Paul George (22 points) decimated the Knicks. This looked like the Clippers team fans expected to see all year. These days, the Knicks have no answer.