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 That was certainly the case on Thursday night when point guard
Chris Paul had 26 points and a game-high 12 assists to help the
Clippers dominate the Miami Heat 110-93 at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Miami trailed by 24 points early, which set the franchise record for
the largest first-quarter deficit ever in a home game. After that,
Miami never got closer than 14 points.
"The way we played tonight in the first quarter -- I don't care who
we played, it would've been hard to play us," Clippers coach Doc
Rivers said. "We're finding our way. I like where we're headed."
Los Angeles (7-4), off to a 2-0 start on its seven-game trip, also
got 26 points from forward Blake Griffin. Center DeAndre Jordan
contributed 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. The Clippers shot 55.6 percent from the floor, including 13 of 31 on
three-pointers (41.9 percent). They had 31 assists and just 13
turnovers compared with 11 assists and 12 turnovers by the Heat.
 "There's not a whole lot to say -- that was a blitz in that first
quarter," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "They knocked us on our
heels, and we could never get our footing after that."
Rivers said his team's success can be attributed to proper spacing
on the court and a willingness to share the ball.
He pointed to guard Jamal Crawford, who leads the NBA in bench
scoring (18.4) and is normally a pass-first player. On Thursday,
though, Crawford had no points and five assists at halftime.
"You guys should get the stat sheet and get him to sign it," Rivers
joked. "When I looked at the stat sheet at halftime, I thought,
'Wow, this is unusual and very nice.'"
Rivers said Crawford, who finished with five points and a
season-high nine assists, was thrilled with his passing totals. But
Rivers doesn't want Crawford to forget about his scoring.
"I thought (Crawford) started looking for assists down the stretch,"
Rivers said. "I said, 'OK, Magic (Johnson)' ... We need him to be
aggressive all the time."
Crawford said the Clippers are building trust with each other.
"I think when you pass up good shots for great shots, you give
yourself a good chance to make those," he said.
Miami (6-6) lost for the fourth time in its past five games.
Forward Chris Bosh led the Heat with a game-high 28 points,
including 18 in the first half. Shooting guard Mario Chalmers, who
had led the Heat in scoring the past three games while replacing
injured starter Dwyane Wade, was held to 13 points.
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Heat starting point guard Norris Cole was scoreless in 10 minutes.
He dislocated his left middle finger in the second quarter and did
not return.
Cole has been a very durable player. On Thursday, he played his
160th consecutive game, which ranks third best in franchise history
behind former standouts Grant Long (161) and Glen Rice (174).
"Right now, we're just being safe," Cole said of his injury. "We'll
see how it feels tomorrow."
Rookie Shabazz Napier, Cole's backup, had a season-high 17 points
and three assists in 32 minutes.
Early in the game, it was all Clippers. Los Angeles shot 68 percent
from the field in the first quarter, including 62.5 percent on
3-pointers (5 of 8), and held Miami to 36.8 percent from the floor.
Miami missed all five of its 3-pointers.
Given those numbers, and a 12-4 rebounding edge, the result was
predictable: a 39-15 Clippers lead.
The Clippers had their lead cut to 58-40 at halftime. Still, Los
Angeles got a variety of dunks and layups, outscoring Miami 30-14 in
the lane in the first half. Ten of those points came on lobs.
"We want to make high-energy plays," Crawford said. "The lob is a
weapon for us."
NOTES: The Heat, who hadn't played since Monday, were the more
rested team. But the Clippers got to rest their starters in the
fourth quarter of a 114-90 win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.
... Heat G Dwyane Wade (hamstring) missed his fourth straight game.
Before he got hurt, he averaged 19.6 points and 6.4 assists. The
last time he had a season in which he averaged more assists was
2009-2010 (6.5). ... Heat Fs Luol Deng (wrist) and Josh McRoberts
(foot) returned from injuries after missing two and three games,
respectively. ... Up next, the Heat play at the Orlando Magic on
Saturday. ... The Clippers' seven-game trip continues with their
third stop on Sunday at the Memphis Grizzlies.
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