Clippers Don’t Get Knicked

Four wins in 11 games does not usually create a stir for any team.

But if the Clippers continue to entertain the way they did Tuesday night in defeating the New York Knicks, 100-95, their bandwagon may start to fill up soon.

Before 14,487 at Staples Center, the Clippers played like champions in taking a 28-point lead late in the first half but then had to hold off a depleted Knick team for a 100-95 victory.

Lamar Odom had 24 points, Derek Anderson 23 and Tyrone Nesby 22 to lead the Clippers, who have won two in a row and three of four to improve to 4-7.

“The New York City kid beat the New York City team,” said Odom, a Queens native who also had six rebounds and five assists. “It’s a New York City dream.”

Playing without power forward Maurice Taylor, who sat out his fifth consecutive game because of a foot sprain, the Clippers helped themselves with 10 three-point baskets, with Nesby and Troy Hudson making three each.

But in the second half, the Clippers nearly shot themselves into a defeat. But they were able to pull it out down the stretch.

“We’re learning how to finish games . . . we are a different team now and I said that at the beginning of the season,” said Anderson, who played in his first game since suffering a mild concussion last week. “We know who we want to shoot the ball. Lamar with his size is a mismatch with anyone and we let him draw the double team and that makes everybody better.”

The Knicks also were not at full strength. New York was playing its fifth road game in eight days and was without three key players: center Patrick Ewing, on the injured list because of an Achilles’ tendon injury; forward Marcus Camby, who did not dress because of a minor knee injury; and forward Larry Johnson, who returned home early in the trip to get tests on his injured back.

The Knicks, who lost to the San Antonio Spurs in last season’s NBA finals, were led by Latrell Sprewell, who had 32 points, six rebounds and five assists.

“We’re a 6-7 team going nowhere fast,” Knick Coach Jeff Van Gundy said. “We’re going to have to make some changes.”

Fresh off an impressive victory at Washington on Saturday in which they made a season-high 10 three-point baskets, the Clippers picked up right where they left off.

Making an eye-opening 54.5% of their shots in the first half, the Clippers dominated play early behind the sizzling shooting of Anderson.

Anderson made seven of his first eight shots and had 20 points midway into the second quarter. Odom did his part with 15 points and the Clippers made seven of 15 three-point attempts in taking a seemingly commanding 65-49 lead at the break.

The Clippers’ first-half dominance was such that, if they could maintain that level of play the rest of the season, general managers around the league wouldn’t shake Elgin Baylor’s hand, they would salute him.

The Clippers, however, made things difficult for themselves by allowing Sprewell to get into the rhythm of the game. Sprewell had a quiet first quarter with four points as he struggled to defend Anderson. But in the second quarter, after the Clippers opened a 28-point lead, Sprewell started taking the ball to the basket hard.

Sprewell took advantage of a soft Clipper defense to score 17 points in the second quarter. In the third, the Clippers led, 78-60, before Sprewell led a 12-0 run to cut the Clipper lead to 78-72. The Clippers finished the quarter with a 6-2 run but led by only 10 points heading into the fourth.

Journeyman center Andrew Lang scored six points early in the final quarter for the Knicks and the Clippers found themselves ahead by only 85-83 with eight minutes to play.

New York might have taken the lead if not for Nesby, who provided a spark all night. Nesby had a strong first half with 14 points and four rebounds and then followed with a couple of key three-point baskets down the stretch before fouling out with less than two minutes remaining.