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 Thanks to some clutch shooting down the stretch, the Clippers earned
a 99-92 victory at Staples Center.
Los Angeles guard J.J. Redick scored 23 points, and point guard
Chris Paul added 21 points and eight assists.
A strong third-quarter effort allowed the Hornets to wipe out a huge
deficit and push the Clippers. However, Charlotte failed to make
timely shots with the game on the line.
"We got a little complacent," said Paul, who scored 14 points in the
second half while hitting three 3-pointers. "I had a couple of bad
turnovers in that stretch, and we stopped defending. Well, we didn't
stop, but they started making shots. (Charlotte center) Al Jefferson
got going and they hit some threes, and we gave them light."
Forward Blake Griffin, in his second game since returning from elbow
surgery, scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Clippers,
who snapped a two-game losing streak. Center DeAndre Jordan finished
with 12 points and 14 rebounds. Guard Nate Robinson also scored 12
for Los Angeles (43-25).
"The most disappointing thing is obviously giving up the lead that
we had," said Griffin, who hit eight of 12 shots. "I think it
started when we came out in the second half. Just lackadaisical, had
too many turnovers and too many easy baskets for them. You can't let
that happen."
Jefferson scored 21 points to lead the Hornets, who lost their
fourth game in the past five. Point guard Mo Williams had 18 points
and eight assists, shooting guard Gerald Henderson added 16 points,
and guard Kemba Walker scored 15.
Charlotte (29-37) made runs late in the third quarter and in the
fourth. The Hornets, who were routed 94-66 by the Utah Jazz on
Monday, closed within a point on five occasions during the fourth,
but Los Angeles never relinquished the lead.
"We played very well in the second half," said Jefferson, who shot
9-for-19 from the floor. "The big difference in the game came down
to one stretch in the second quarter with a lot of turnovers that
got them going. We had nine in the first half, and we only had four
in the second half. We turned it over too much, and they made us
pay."
After Redick hit a jumper for a 73-57 cushion with 4:29 left in the
third, the Hornets answered with a 17-4 surge to close the quarter,
cutting the deficit to 77-74. Williams and Walker capped the run
with back-to-back 3-pointers, allowing the Hornets to outscore the
Clippers 33-18 in the period.
Eight Los Angeles turnovers in the quarter to only two for Charlotte
helped spark the rally.
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The Clippers coasted to a 28-20 advantage after one period and a
59-41 halftime lead behind Griffin's 15 first-half points and
Redick's 12. The Clippers shot 53.2 percent from the floor compared
to 38.5 percent for the Hornets in the first half. Los Angeles also
converted 50 percent (six of 12) of its 3-point attempts to 33.3
percent (two of six) for Charlotte.
For the game, the Clippers shot 45.5 percent from the field, while
the Hornets shot 40.5 percent.
"In the second half, we started fighting," said Williams, a former
Clipper. "Then, we had a chance at the end, but things didn't work
out for us."
Los Angeles guard Jamal Crawford missed his seventh consecutive game
with a right calf contusion. Clippers forwards Matt Barnes and
Jordan Hamilton also sat out the contest. Barnes has a sore right
hamstring, while Hamilton has a sprained right ankle.
NOTES: Clippers coach Doc Rivers shared some fond memories regarding
former teammate Jack Haley, who died Monday of heart disease at age
51. "He was crazy," said Rivers, who played with Haley with the San
Antonio Spurs. Haley was well known as a caretaker for Hall of Famer
Dennis Rodman. "Him and Dennis Rodman were very, very tight," Rivers
said. "To say they kept things loose in our locker room and off the
floor would be an understatement." ... Hornets coach Steve Clifford
said the addition of G Mo Williams, who was averaging 19.9 points
and 7.5 assists in his 13 games with Charlotte entering play
Tuesday, was significant. The Hornets obtained Williams in a Feb. 10
trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves. "He's helped us
tremendously," Clifford said. ... The Clippers visit the Sacramento
Kings on Wednesday, while the Hornets play at Sacramento on Friday.
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