Clippers’ J.J. Redick says first quarter performance is due to routine

It’s no secret that when J.J. Redick gets hot in the first quarter, the Clippers tend to win ball games.

In Wednesday’s 99-78 win over the New York Knicks, Redick had a game-leading 13 points on five-for-seven shooting in the first 12 minutes of the game, including making three of his four three-point attempts.

Redick said that immediate success is due to his pregame routine.

“If you were to watch me from -- I don’t know, let’s see, 10 minutes or so on the clock in warmups to the jumpball -- there’s no way I’m not ready,” Redick said. “I do this whole routine and it’s coordinated to about what time it is in warmups. I make sure everything’s activated.”

Redick’s routine includes stretching and movement, and a shooting drill with Ekpe Udoh. With about one minute remaining on the clock before the first half and the second half begin, Udoh rebounds the ball for Redick as he gets in nine or 10 quick shots.

“Some point in the last month or so we did it and it was kind of a joke,” Redick said. “Then I had a good game. Then we did it the next game. At some point in the next few weeks, I went up to him and was like, ‘Hey man, you doing that is really important to me.”

Redick said he learned how to immediately affect games from years of coming off the bench in Orlando. As a reserve there, he wouldn’t have the luxury of easing into games.

Another trick he said he uses to stay warmed up is never sitting on the bench. Instead he does pilates exercises near the baseline during down time, such as the one-legged scissors move.

Redick is averaging 15.2 points on 46.7% shooting for the Clippers this season.

Chris Paul said that Redick’s starts greatly influence games for the team.

“It’s great,” Paul said. “You start to rely on it too much, you know what I mean. He gives everybody an opportunity to get into the game because he just starts off the game, he has it going, he finds it.”

Twitter: @melissarohlin