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A familiar face helped the New York Knicks end a dreadful losing streak Sunday night in Madison Square Garden.
Former University of Kentucky standout Kevin Knox scored 19 points and added 10 rebounds in New York’s 130-118 win over the San Antonio Spurs. That win ended the Knicks’ franchise-record 18-game home losing streak dating back to Dec. 1, 2018.
The reverberations were felt on the other coast that night at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles, where Samuel L. Jackson announced the Knicks’ triumph to the audience (and most importantly, longtime Knicks fan Spike Lee), soliciting cheers from the crowd.
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Here are some of the other top performances of the past week from local college players around the NBA:
Montrezl Harrell, Los Angeles Clippers (Louisville)
Harrell had a big week for the surging Clippers, starting Friday night when he posted 30 points off the bench on 8-of-10 shooting from the free throw line in the Clippers’ 112-106 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
He followed that up with a career-high 32 points and five assists in Monday’s win against the Dallas Mavericks. Harrell has been a spark all season for Los Angeles, which has surprised the league. The Clippers hold the seventh playoff spot in the hotly contested Western Conference.
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Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz (Louisville)
Former Cardinals star Mitchell put on a show Friday night in a showdown against Russell Westbrook, Paul George and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Mitchell finished with 38 points and five assists in the Jazz’s 148-147 heartbreaking loss in double overtime.
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Mitchell was noticeably hot from behind the arc, including a buzzer beater to end the third quarter.
He impressed again the following night in Utah’s 125-109 win over the Mavericks with 25 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves (Kentucky)
A scary moment for Towns and the Timberwolves occurred last Thursday when the big man was involved in a car accident. Towns stated that he is “blessed to be alive” after the wreck.
While he was sidelined for two games, he roared back Monday night with a 34-point, 21-rebound effort against the Sacramento Kings. Minnesota won 112-105.
DeMarcus Cousins, Golden State Warriors (Kentucky)
Cousins led the Warriors over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday in a 121-106 decision. He scored 24 points and added 11 rebounds.
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Devin Booker and Bam Adebayo (Kentucky)
Both former Wildcats played big roles for their teams in Monday night’s matchup between the Suns and the Heat. Booker scored 20 points and had nine assists for Phoenix, while Adebayo added 14 points and nine rebounds off the bench for Miami.
Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets (Indiana)
In Houston’s win over Golden State on Saturday, Gordon exploded for 25 points, including four 3-pointers. Houston prevailed 118-112.
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