Warriors rap Clippers: LeBron gets back at Phil thru big rout

NEW YORK – LeBron James had little to say about his choice of hotels and even less about Phil Jackson’s choice of words.

James and his teammates made their statement loudly on the court.

James scored 25 points, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love also surpassed 20, and the Cleveland Cavaliers crushed the New York Knicks, 126-94, on Wednesday night.

It was the first meeting since James was angered when Jackson referred to his friends and business partners as a “posse” last month in an ESPN interview. James refused to answer questions about the Knicks president, who watched the game from his usual seat a few rows back of center court.

“I’m motivated for the love of the game, I’m motivated by the process, I’m motivated knowing that my kids are watching me tonight on national television,” James said. “So I don’t need much more.”

In Los Angeles, Klay Thompson scored 24 points, Draymond Green added 22 points and the Golden State Warriors routed the Clippers, 115-98, for their seventh straight win over Los Angeles.

Stephen Curry had 19 points for Golden State, and Kevin Durant, who came averaging a team-best 27.0 points, was held to 16 on 5-of-17 shooting.

Curry failed to make a 3-pointer for just the second time this season, going 0 of 8. The Warriors were 7 of 30 from long range.

Jamal Crawford scored 21 points for the Clippers, who have lost five of seven. Four of their seven overall losses have come at home.

Blake Griffin struggled, scoring 12 points on 5-of-20 shooting and had seven of the Clippers’ 14 turnovers. J.J. Redick had two points, well under his 15.5 average.

The Warriors set a dominating tone in the first quarter when they shot 56 percent. They erased the Clippers’ one-point lead with a 28-9 run to lead 37-19.

Golden State’s defense smothered the Clippers’ shooters, who were held to 33 percent in the first, and forced coach Doc Rivers to bring in his second unit. The reserves couldn’t get anything going while Thompson, Curry and Green combined to score 15 consecutive points as part of Golden State’s big run.

Trailing by 20 early in the second quarter, the Clippers clawed back within seven on three 3-pointers by Crawford, including a rainbow that just beat the shot clock. Paul added seven points and DeAndre Jordan dunked to get to 53-46. But just as quickly the Warriors restored their lead to 62-49 at halftime, capped by Green’s 3-pointer.

Even a 12-0 run by the Clippers only cut their deficit to 14 points late in the third after they fell behind by 27 earlier in the quarter. On the Warriors’ last possession, Curry and two teammates fell down but Kevon Looney still dunked to send them into the fourth leading 91-75.

In other results, Charlotte downed Detroit, 87-77; Boston whipped Orlando, 117-87; Brooklyn outlasted Denver, 116-111; Atlanta held off Miami, 103-95; Milwaukee repulsed Portland, 115-107; and the Houston Rockets clobbered the Los Angeles Lakers, 134-95.