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 Forward Blake Griffin scored 18 points, and five of his teammates
also scored in double figures as the Clippers hammered the Lakers
106-78 Sunday night at Staples Center.
Center DeAndre Jordan had 16 points, 11 rebounds and four steals for
the Clippers (52-26). They earned a third win in a row and a 10th in
their past 11 while staying a half-game ahead of the San Antonio
Spurs in the race for the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference
playoffs.
Jordan said third-quarter defense allowed the Clippers to pull away.
"In the first half, we didn't defend very well," said Jordan, who
made seven of nine shots from the floor but missed six of eight free
throws. "They got a lot of second-chance points, a lot of offensive
rebounds. Our defense kind of broke down after the initial
possession. But in the third quarter, we came out with a different
mindset. We wanted to get stops and secure the basketball so we
could get out and run."
Forward Matt Barnes added 14 points, shooting guard J.J Redick and
reserve forward Hedo Turkoglu scored 12 apiece, and guard Austin
Rivers contributed 10 points. Point guard Chris Paul finished with
15 assists to go along with seven points.
"It was tough coming off of a back-to-back," said Paul, referring to
the Clippers' 107-92 win over the Nuggets in Denver on Saturday.
"Early in the game, we didn't defend as well as we'd like to; we
didn't execute offensively. We wanted to be able to get some rest in
the fourth quarter. In the second half, I really thought we started
moving the ball well, we defended well and guys made shots."
Forward Wesley Johnson led the Lakers with 16 points. Center Tarik
Black and reserve guard Jabari Brown were the only other Lakers to
reach double figures, finishing with 10 points each.
"We just have to compete, that's the main thing," Johnson said.
"Everybody has to compete and leave it out there. It's getting
towards the end of the season, but we still have to come play."
The Lakers (20-56) set a franchise record for losses in a season,
topping the mark set last season under former coach Mike D'Antoni.
The team finished 27-55 in 2013-14. The Lakers also lost for the
sixth straight contest to the Clippers and the third time this
season. The Clippers also limited them to their lowest point total
in the all-time series.
"Losing is losing," Lakers coach Byron Scott said when asked if
being pounded by the Clippers made it worst. "To get blown out in
your building, that doesn't make it any better. But no, it doesn't
hurt any less that the loss is against the Clippers. They're a good
team. They've got a very good team."
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The two teams meet again Tuesday.
The Clippers never trailed. They began dominating midway through the
second period and never let up, allowing coach Doc Rivers to empty
his bench with six minutes left in the game.
The Clippers led 26-21 before using a 13-1 run for a 39-22 advantage
after an alley-oop dunk by Jordan on a pass from Paul. They took a
49-36 lead to the locker room at halftime. The Lakers failed to
slice the margin below double digits the rest of the way.
Eleven first-half turnovers hurt the Lakers. The Clippers committed
five. Overall, the Lakers made 19 miscues to 10 for the Clippers.
The Clippers blew the contest open in the third quarter. They closed
the period with a 21-5 surge for an 83-54 cushion heading into the
fourth quarter.
NOTES: Coach Doc Rivers said it was probable injured Clippers G
Jamal Crawford could return for Tuesday's game against the Lakers.
Crawford missed the past 17 games with a right calf contusion. ...
Rivers said it is very important for his team to gain home-court
advantage in the first round of the playoffs, but he prefers all of
his players to be healthy instead. ... Although Rivers said he do
not care who wins the league's MVP, Lakers coach Byron Scott
believes Clippers PG Chris Paul should be considered. Scott calls
Paul, whom he coached for four-plus seasons in New Orleans, the best
point guard in the NBA. ... The Lakers still lead the overall series
144-59 despite dropping 10 of the past 11 meetings. ... The Clippers
will serve as the home team when the clubs meet again Tuesday.
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