New York, NY (Sports Network) - Mike Taylor had a career-high 35 points and keyed a crucial run in overtime, as history repeated itself in the Los Angeles Clippers' 140-135 win over the New York Knicks.
In the teams' other meeting this season, on February 11, New York's Al Harrington earned a technical foul for pulling himself up on the rim after a dunk and slapping the backboard with both hands. The subsequent free throw allowed the game to go to overtime, with the Clippers winning 128-124.
On Wednesday, Harrington -- who tied a season-high with 38 points to lead the Knicks -- dunked with 27.9 seconds to play. It gave the Knicks a 127-124 lead, but again he was given a technical foul for pulling himself up and hanging on the rim.
Eric Gordon hit the free throw for LA, and Zach Randolph's two free throws on the Clippers' possession tied the game, sending it to overtime.
The Knicks had a two-point lead midway through overtime, until Taylor's jumper started a six-point burst that ended with another Taylor basket. It put the Clippers ahead 137-133 with 1 1/2 minutes to play, and they held on from there for the win, which snapped LA's three-game losing streak.
Randolph added 33 points for LA, while Al Thornton ended with 21 points and nine rebounds. Gordon scored 19 and Baron Davis finished with 13 points and six assists.
Wilson Chandler added 22 points for the Knicks, who have lost six in a row. David Lee notched his 56th double-double of the season with 18 points and 13 boards, while Chris Duhon ended with 10 points and 10 assists in the loss.
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The Knicks used a 19-2 run in the first quarter -- in which Harrington had 11 consecutive New York points -- to take a 27-8 lead. New York held a double- digit advantage for the rest of the first quarter, and went into the second ahead 44-28.
However, most of the Knicks' lead evaporated when the Clippers opened the new quarter with a 13-2 burst. Taylor had seven points in the run, and his basket about 2 1/2 minutes into the frame got LA within 46-41.
The Clippers ran off eight consecutive points later in the quarter to take the lead, as Taylor's layup put LA on top 63-62. However, Quentin Richardson and Harrington followed with successive layups, and the Knicks went into halftime with a 66-65 edge.
The teams traded baskets throughout the third quarter, and Thornton's trey late in the stanza helped LA carry a 95-93 lead into the fourth.
The game was close down the stretch, as the teams largely stayed within one possession of each other. Davis drained a three-pointer with a little over three minutes left for a 117-113 lead, but New York countered with seven consecutive points.
Larry Hughes' three capped the surge for a 120-117 Knicks lead with two minutes to play, and they extended it to 125-121 after Hughes sank two free throws with under a minute to go.
Davis drilled another trey moments later to make it a one-point game and set the stage for Harrington's dunk.
