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Monday, Dec. 4 7:30pm ET
Rice nets 21, Sprewell and Houston 19 each

RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME FLOW

NEW YORK (AP) -- Much to Jeff Van Gundy's dismay, folks are calling the new lineup the "Big Backcourt."

Much to his delight, it's working.

Glen Rice
Corey Maggette goes up for a shot over Glen Rice, who led the Knicks with 21 points.

Glen Rice scored 21 points and Latrell Sprewell and Allan Houston added 19 apiece Monday night as the New York Knicks had their highest-scoring game and largest margin of victory this season in a 106-78 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Knicks shot 56 percent, led by 19 at halftime and turned it into a rout early in the third to improve to 4-1 since going to the "Big Backcourt" starting lineup of Rice, Sprewell and Houston.

"I hate that moniker. I hate it. I am so sick of that," Van Gundy said. "I think, at times, when we are forceful and energetic on offense, it's been good."

Kurt Thomas shot 7-for-8 from the field and added 14 points, and Chris Childs had a season-high 11 assists as the Knicks avenged a four-point loss to the Clippers three weeks ago.

Rice has led the Knicks in scoring all three times they have won by at least 25 points.

Van Gundy said before the game that the Clippers would be good enough to contend for a playoff spot if they were in the East, but it sure didn't look that way. With Los Angeles playing lethargic defense and repeatedly getting beat inside, the Knicks took over late in the first quarter and didn't let up until opening a 34-point lead early in the fourth.

"It allows three very good perimeter players to be in at the same time, and we can all play inside and out," Houston said of the new starting backcourt. "To me, when you have the three of us in you aren't going to find three guys capable of guarding us."

Van Gundy went to the oversized backcourt with no true point guard after Charlie Ward went down with a knee injury. Despite their suspect ballhandling skills and lack of defensive quickness, the threesome has meshed well.

"In the games we've gone out and executed the offense, we've proven to be a very dangerous team," Rice said.

Childs checked in with the Knicks leading 25-20 and had five assists over the next 12 minutes as the Knicks used a 32-13 run to open a 24-point lead.

"For five games after the lineup switch I was paying too much attention to things I couldn't control, like Jeff's decision," Childs said. "I was disappointed. It was kind of like a slap in the face, but I talked to myself and said when I'm out there I'll make the best of it."

Clippers coach Alvin Gentry, who had been complaining throughout the first quarter and a half, was ejected by referee Rodney Mott shortly before the run ended late in the second quarter.

Rice had an emphatic two-handed dunk early in the third to make it 64-45, and Sprewell and Rice followed with jumpers.

A 3-pointer by Larry Johnson and a layup by Thomas made it 83-55, and Houston hit a jumper early in the fourth to make it 94-60.

"What can I say. Every team has one game like that," Gentry said. "It was a disaster."

Game notes
Rookie Darius Miles led the Clippers with 13 points. ... Clippers assistant coach Dennis Johnson filled in after Gentry was ejected. ... Luc Longley and Travis Knight checked in with 9:46 left, signaling the start of garbage time. Longley finished with three points and two rebounds in 10 minutes -- his more extensive playing time in four games. ... New York's previous season high was 103 points in an overtime victory at Boston. ... The Knicks' previous largest victory was by 25 points against both the Hawks and Grizzlies. ... Actor David Hasselhoff of "Baywatch" fame sang the national anthem.
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New York Clubhouse

RECAPS
New York 106
LA Clippers 78

Denver 105
Philadelphia 98


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