Clippers Put Knicks to Shame

The New York Knicks, falling further into disarray, had no problem putting the latest loss in perspective.

“This was the worst loss of the season, the bottom of the barrel. Things look pretty dismal right now,” Patrick Ewing said. “It’s embarrassing and demoralizing. The Clippers? They’ve got some good players, but . . . “

Ewing made some of his most negative comments in years after a 105-88 loss to Los Angeles on Tuesday night.

It was the sixth loss in the last seven games for the Knicks, who were outscored, 33-20, in the final period and have been outscored 118-65 in the fourth quarters of the last four games.

“Just simply an awful performance by us, not acceptable,” Knick Coach Don Nelson said. “Not enough energy, not enough good play, not enough team basketball. And I take full responsibility for that.”

The Clippers used an 18-2 run early in the fourth quarter to break open a tie game and beat New York for the first time in more than three years and for only the third time in their last 20 meetings.

Clipper centers Brian Williams and Stanley Roberts made almost two-thirds of their shots and Ewing missed 10 of his 17 shots and didn’t score in the fourth quarter, despite leading the Knicks with 24 points.

“With some centers in the league, Dikembe [Mutombo] and Patrick more so than David [Robinson] and Hakeem [Olajuwon], there’s just certain things you can do against them,” said Williams, whose 21 points led six Clippers in double figures. “Patrick will get his points, but you have to make him play defense.”