Hornets shut down Griffin in win over Clippers

[November 27, 2012]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Greivis Vasquez had 25 points and 10 assists and the New Orleans Hornets' defense took Blake Griffin completely out of the game en route to a 105-98 victory over the skidding Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night, ending the Hornets' seven-game losing streak.

Griffin made only one of nine shots in 35 minutes, finishing with a career-low four points and six rebounds before fouling out with 2:36 left in the game. It marked only the fourth time he failed to reach double digits in scoring in 173 NBA regular season and playoff games.

Ryan Anderson and Jason Smith each scored 17 points for the Hornets and Austin Rivers added 14. Anthony Davis, the top overall pick in the June draft, missed his fifth straight game because of an injured left ankle.

Caron Butler made a career-high nine 3-pointers on 15 attempts and finished with 33 points, becoming the first Clipper this season to score at least 30. The two teams combined for 33 3-pointers on 62 attempts.

Paul had 20 points and eight assists. Willie Green, who played for the Hornets two seasons ago before spending last season with Atlanta as a free agent, had 10 points.

Anderson led New Orleans to a 51-44 halftime advantage with 11 points. Neither team led by more than five until the Hornets opened up a 39-28 lead with an 8-0 run capped by Anderson's 3-pointer with 5:58 left in the second quarter.

The Hornets took an 11-point lead into the fourth and stretched it to 94-77, their biggest of the game, on Vasquez's fifth and final 3-pointer with 6:41 remaining. The Clippers got as close as 101-95 with two free throws by Griffin, a 3-pointer by Paul and two more foul shots by Jamal Crawford with 1:38 left. But their perimeter shooting went cold after that.

Griffin missed his first seven shots before Green found him above the rim for an alley-oop dunk that cut the Hornets' lead to 68-65 with 4:34 left in the third quarter. Butler tied it 33 seconds later with a 3-pointer.

NOTES: Butler's previous career-high for 3-pointers was five, on three occasions -- the last time Nov. 12, 2012 at Minnesota. ... The Hornets are 23-54 and the Clippers are 48-32 since Paul switched teams. He is averaging 23.5 points and 10 assists in the four games he's played against his former team, two of which the Clippers have won. ... Griffin missed all four shots he took in the first quarter, including a 3-point attempt at the buzzer. He is 9 for 43 lifetime from behind the arc in his NBA career. ... Lopez, who blocked four shots in each of his previous three games, had one against the Clippers to extend his streak to 16 games. ... The Hornets begin a five-game homestand Wednesday night against Utah.

[Associated Press; By JOE RESNICK]

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