LOS ANGELES — Julius Randle has made a concerted effort to cut back on his technical fouls this season, but losing his cool contributed to the Knicks’ latest loss Saturday to the Clippers.
The All-Star forward was assessed a technical foul — and had to be restrained by Tom Thibodeau and other coaches and teammates — after elbowing Clippers center Mason Plumlee on a defensive rebound with 0.3 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Kawhi Leonard and Plumlee knocked down all three free throws to turn a one-point Knicks lead into a two-point deficit.
The Clippers then extended that slim cushion to as many as 14 in the fourth, sending the Knicks to a 106-95 loss in their first of back-to-back games at Crypto.com Arena.
![Julius Randle shoots during the Knicks' loss to the Clippers on March 11.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/NYPICHPDPICT000008060784.jpg?w=1024)
It marked their third straight defeat after a nine-game winning streak to fall to 39-30 overall ahead of Sunday’s game against the Lakers — with starting point guard Jalen Brunson missing 2 ¹/₂ of those three games with a bruised left foot.
The loss also dropped Thibodeau’s team into a virtual tie with the Nets, although Brooklyn technically is percentage points ahead for the No. 5 playoff position in the Eastern Conference.
Randle also endured another horrendous shooting game (5-for-24) and finished with 19 points.
He is shooting 28.6 percent (18-for-63) over his past three games, and the technical foul marked his eighth of the season after getting slapped with a dozen last year.
![Immanuel Quickley scores during the Knicks' loss to the Clippers on March 11.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/GettyImages-1248041370.jpg?w=1024)
Fill-in starter Immanuel Quickley scored 26 points, RJ Barrett had 11, and Mitchell Robinson recorded 14 rebounds and two blocked shots for the Knicks.
Leonard scored 38 points and Paul George had 22 for the Clippers (36-33).
The Knicks missed nine of their first 11 field-goal attempts and their first five 3-point tries, and trailed 14-4 in the early going.
![Kawhi Leonard drives to the rim during the Clippers' win over the Knicks on March 11.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/GettyImages-1248038763.jpg?w=1024)
But Quickley, who shot 1-for-11 in Thursday’s loss in Sacramento, buried two buckets from long range and Quentin Grimes converted a traditional three-point play to close within 20-19 by the end of the opening quarter.
Obi Toppin (10 points) registered two dunks and two additional short-range baskets for eight in the first five minutes of the second.
Consecutive put-backs by Josh Hart (10) and ex-Clipper Isaiah Hartenstein gave the Knicks a 37-36 lead.
![Kawhi Leonard scores during the Clippers' win over the Knicks on March 11.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/GettyImages-1248040112.jpg?w=1024)
Randle and Barrett only scored two points apiece — on 3-for-14 combined shooting — with under two minutes remaining in the half, but Randle netted seven over the final 1:17 as the Knicks led 49-47 at intermission.
Barrett and Quickley knocked down 3-pointers early in the third to push the lead to five.
Barrett managed nine in the quarter, but after the Randle blow-up, the Knicks trailed 76-74 entering the final period.
Leonard’s three-point play gave the Clippers a 92-82 lead midway through the fourth.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)