Clippers find relief on road

NEW YORK -- Corey Maggette scored 19 points in his return to the lineup, and the Clippers ended a nine-game road losing streak by beating the slumping Knicks, 103-94.

In a matchup of teams that entered with 14 wins apiece, the Clippers seized control by outscoring the Knicks, 52-34, in the second half.

Not even a lengthy standing ovation given to three members of the Super Bowl champion Giants following the third quarter could spark the Knicks, who by then had wasted the lead they built during a strong first 24 minutes by getting outscored, 28-14 ,in the third.

“They’re a struggling team just like we are,” Clippers center Chris Kaman said. “It’s like a toilet bowl game or a dust bowl game. Two bottom teams fighting.”

Kaman, who like Maggette had missed the previous four games with flu, had 15 points and nine rebounds to help the Clippers improve to 1-2 on their seven-game trip. Cuttino Mobley scored 14 points as the Clippers handed the Knicks their sixth straight loss.

Kaman had missed five games in a row, the first because of a left shin contusion.

The Clippers hadn’t completely shaken the flu bug. They were led by assistant coach Kim Hughes, with head Coach Mike Dunleavy staying behind at the team hotel because he was sick.

Eddy Curry led the Knicks with 19 points -- only three in the second half. Jamal Crawford scored 16 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter for the Knicks, who returned home from an 0-5 trip on which they failed to hold second-half leads in four of the games. They were up 11 in the second half this time but finished with 20 turnovers that led to 25 points.

“I thought we were in big trouble. But it’s a long game,” Hughes said. “You can’t quit on guys and I thought our philosophy of how we should guard them was good. We just weren’t doing what we should be doing.”

The highlight for New York fans had nothing to do with basketball. Giants defensive backs Sam Madison, R.W. McQuarters and Kevin Dockery, who had arrived home with the rest of the Super Bowl champions earlier Monday from Arizona, came onto the court and received a standing ovation that lasted throughout the break between the third and fourth quarters.

The Knicks, particularly Crawford (one for 10 until that point), seemed sparked by the rare cheers at Madison Square Garden, pulling to within 91-89 with 3:56 left. Josh Powell then made consecutive baskets, and the Knicks never got closer than four again.

The Clippers’ Tim Thomas, a former Knicks forward, didn’t play in the second half after suffering back spasms at halftime.