March 9th, 2017

The Clippers returned to the win column on Thursday night in Memphis.  LA beat the Grizzlies 114-98 behind a big game from Austin Rivers.

Rivers scored 20 points, while Chris Paul added 19 and 7 assists to help the Clipps maintain their hold on 5th place in the Western Conference with the Grizzlies breathing down their neck.

JJ Redick scored 15 points as well, while Jamal Crawford and Blake Griffin each scored 14.  The Clipps shot 51% from the field, and outrebounded the Grizzlies 47-34.

LA outscored Memphis 31-20 in the 3rd quarter, including a buzzer beating 49-foot shot from Jamal Crawford.

The Grizzlies never got close from there.  The Clippers opened a lead as much as 22 points in the 4th.

Memphis was led by Marc Gasol who scored 20 points, as well as Zach Randolph, who had 18 points and 11 rebounds.

The win comes after the Clippers held a team meeting on Thursday morning, after Wednesday’s loss to the Timberberwolves.  “It was a long meeting, but it was a truthful meeting,” Doc Rivers said. “We just talked. There wasn’t any screaming. It was just a good team discussion about what we want to be and what we need to do.

Blake Griffin knew their effort against Minnesota was poor.  “We know we haven’t played the way we should,” He said.  “So sometimes just scrapping the film, scrapping the walk-through and just talking and letting guys get some frustrations out, talk about what they’re seeing.  “Sometimes you miss something.”

The Clippers return to action on Saturday night against the 76ers.

March 8th, 2017

The Clippers didn’t put up all that great of a fight in Minnesota on Wednesday night.  LA suffered a 107-91 loss to the Timberwolves at the Target Center.  It was their 5th loss in the last 8 games since the All-Star break.

This one got out of hand early.  After taking a 2-0 lead, Minnesota went on a 15-0 run.  The Clipps were down by 15 points in the 1st quarter and then against in the 2nd.  The lead ballooned to 18 points with 2:24 left in the 4th.

The Timberwolves got a huge game from Karl Anthony Towns, who scored 29 points to go along with 14 rebounds in the win.  Andrew Wiggins had 20, and Shabazz Muhammad had 17.  Ricky Rubio got loose too, scoring 15 points while racking up 12 assists  and 6 rebounds.

The Clippers were led by DeAndre Jordan, who scored 20 points and pulled down 13 rebounds.  Blake Griffin had 16 points, and JJ Redick had 14.  The Clippers shot just 42% from the field and were dominated on the glass, getting out rebounded 50-36.  They also committed 17 turnovers.

The Timberwolves pulled within 2.5 games of Denver for the final playoff spot in the West.  Meanwhile, the Clippers fell to 22-11 when all five of their regular starters were healthy.

Clipper coach Doc Rivers was not happy with his teams effort.  “We cannot allow our offense to dictate how we’re going to play,” Rivers said. “And today, you could see it all over the floor. Guys were missing layups. Wide-open threes, wide-open shots and they let it take their spirit away. That’s what young teams do. Not veteran teams.”

Rivers pulled starters DeAndre Jordan, J.J. Redick and Luc Mbah a Moute and replaced them with reserves Jamal Crawford, Marreese Speights and Austin Rivers with 5:32 left in the first quarter.

“It wasn’t quick enough,” Rivers said. “No, I’m serious, it wasn’t quick enough. I should have done it literally four minutes earlier than that. … I honestly waited too long.”

The Clippers fell further behind the Jazz, in the race for 4th place in the Western Conference.  LA will be back in action on Thursday night against the Grizzlies.

March 6th, 2017

The Clippers got their act together on Monday night.  Doc Rivers got a win against his former team, the Celtics, 116-102 at Staples Center.  They did so behind the strength of a huge second half.

Blake Griffin scored 26 points, and Chris Paul added 23, as LA scored 63 points on 84% shooting over the final 16 minutes.  The first 32 minutes saw them score only 53 points.

The Celtics had a 13 point lead at one point in the 2nd half, but Jamal Crawford was a huge part of the Clippers rally.  Crawford scored 17 of his 19 points in the final 24 minutes.  “He made some tremendous shots,” Brad Stevens said.  “That’s what he does.”

Boston was led by Isaiah Thomas, who scored 31 points, as well as Marcus Smart, who went for 21. However, the Celtics shot just 41% from the field.  They were also hammered on the boards, 47-37.

DeAndre Jordan also scored 15 points and had 12 rebounds for LA, which won their second straight game.  The Clippers remained 1.5 games behind Utah for 4th place in the Western Conference.

Chris Paul went to the bench late in the 3rd quarter with an elbow injury.  Paul bumped into Kelly Olynyk, and grabbed his right elbow after falling to the floor.  For much of the 4th quarter, Paul had his elbow wrapped in ice.  He re-entered the game in the final two minutes.

“That second unit was great” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said.  “I stuck with them for a long time.  That was good for us too.  Anytime we can win a game and get guys down in minutes, it’s never a bad thing.”

The Clippers will now hit the road for a couple of games.  Up next will be Wednesday night for a game against the Timberwolves.

March 5th, 2017

Jamal Crawford helped the Clippers break their losing skid on Saturday night.  Crawford had 25 points off the bench as the Clippers beat the Bulls 101-91.

The Clippers also got 17 points from Chris Paul, and 16 from Blake Griffin.  The win snapped LA’s 2 game losing skid.

Crawford scored 10 points during a 14-7 Clippers run in the 4th quarter.  He scored in single digits in 5 of his last 6 games, but finally broke out.

”He’s going to always break out,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. ”I always tell him to give yourself a shooter’s chance. If you don’t shoot it, you have no chance of breaking out of it.”

Jimmy Butler led the way for the Bulls with 16 points in a losing effort. Chicago had won 5 of the last 6, including wins against Golden State and Cleveland.

The Clippers are back home Monday night to take on the Celtics.

March 3rd, 2017

The Clippers took their struggles to the road Friday, and this time it was Milwaukee handing them another loss.  The Bucks got off to a fast start and held on for a 112-101 win.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 24 points and eight assists.  Greg Monroe scored 23 points too, but the Bucks nearly gave up a 23 point lead.

The Clipps got within 77-74, after Chris Paul made four 3-pointers.  However, the Bucks went on a 15-2 run and regained a 16 point lead with 9 minutes left.

Paul and Blake Griffin scored 21 points each for the Clippers.  DeAndre Jordan had 14, but LA was doomed by its 23 turnovers.  That led to 41 points by the Bucks.

The Clippers have not only slipped to 5th in the West, but they are getting dangerously close to falling as far as 7th in the West.  They’ll try to find the win column tonight in Chicago.

March 1st, 2017

The Rockets could not be stopped from the 3-point line on Wednesday night at Staples Center.  Houston made 20 three-pointers in a 122-103 win over LA.

James Harden scored 26 points, Ryan Anderson added 23, and the Clippers were crushed on the boards 62-35.  Houston had 6 players in double figures.

Chris Paul had 16 points and 10 assists for the Clipps, and Blake Griffin had 17, but LA lost for the 3rd time in the last 4 games.  They had a decent start too, taking a 37-34 lead after the 1st quarter.

However, the 2nd quarter saw the Rockets start to pull away.  They made 11 of 24 three-pointers in the first half, to take a 70-58 lead into the locker room.

The Clippers made it 70-60, then the Rockets nailed 6 more three-pointers in just under 4 minutes to take a 93-69 lead.  LA was outscored 38-20 in the 3rd.

The Clipps would go on a 15-2 run in the 4th quarter but would get not closer than 111-93. With every 3-pointer the Rockets hit, the disbelief of the Clippers grew larger.

“We knew we needed to take them off the three-point line,” Chris Paul said. “We gave up too many threes tonight.”

The Clippers have been sliding since the All-Star break.  They are 1-3 with losses against the top 3 teams in the West (Golden State, San Antonio, and Houston), losing by an average of more than 10 points per game.

LA is stil 5th in the West after Utah lost on Wednesday night.  They still have time to build momentum before the playoffs now that their two stars are healthy and back in the lineup.  “Without making excuses, we’re still getting right,” Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said. “We just got our two guys [Chris Paul and Blake Griffin] back.

The Clippers will return to action on Friday at Milwaukee.

February 26th, 2017

The Clippers needed overtime, and a brilliant game from Blake Griffin, but they beat the Hornets on Sunday night 124-121 at Staples.

Griffin scored 43 points to go along with 10 rebounds, and 5 assists, as he helped the Clippers snap their two game losing skid.  Chris Paul added 15 points, 17 assists, and 9 rebounds despite a tough shooting game.  CP3 missed 14 of his 18 shots from the field.

The Clippers gave up a 17-point lead in the third quarter, then the score was tied at 113-113 when Kemba Walker made two free throws with 11.9 seconds left in regulation.  Walker scored 34 points for the game.  Paul missed a potential game-winning jumper, and the teams headed into overtime.

The Clippers built a 4 point lead in the extra period, but that also disappeared, when Charlotte’s Jeremy Lamb made a 16-foot jumper to tie the score at 120-120.

Griffin then made one of two free throws for a 121-120 Clippers lead with 20.7 seconds left.  The Hornets still had a chance to steal the game.

Charlotte had to call a timeout with 19.2 seconds left and another with 10.2 to play because of tough defense by the Clippers.  LA then forced a turnover, and Paul’s missed layup was rebounded by DeAndre Jordan for a slam dunk, which secured the win.

Jordan finished with 20 points and 19 rebounds.  “When it came down to it, I think we just made some really great plays in overtime,” said J.J.Redick, who had 22 points. “Blake was huge. It was a one-possession game and it came down to one play.”

The Clippers will return to action on Wednesday against Houston, where they’ll try to make it two in a row at Staples Center.

February 24th, 2017

Chris Paul returned for the first time in five weeks, but it didn’t matter.  The Spurs took down the Clippers 105-97 on Friday night at Staples Center.

Kawhi Leonard battled through foul trouble to score 21 points.  Pau Gasol had 17 points and 11 rebounds, while LaMarcus Aldridge added 15 points and 11 rebonds of his own.

This was the Spurs first game after a nine-day layoff, while it was the Clippers 2nd straight loss after the All-Star break.

Blake Griffin led the way for the Clippers with 29 points, and Paul scored 17 but committed 4 of the Clippers 12 turnovers.  Austin Rivers poured in 23 off the bench, but it wasn’t enough.  The Clippers were up 47-42 at halftime, but they couldn’t hold on.  Paul seemed content with an evening that he could build upon though.

“I came out unscathed, which is great,” Paul said. “It was a tough loss, but it felt good to get through an entire game.”

The Clippers were up 68-59 midway through the 3rd quarter.  However, for the 2nd night in a row, their opponent erupted at that point.  The Spurs went on a 16-5 run, to take a 77-73 lead into the 4th quarter.

At one point, Blake Griffin was hit in the face by Spurs reserve Dewyane Dedmon. Griffin went down on the court bleeding, and went to locker room for a moment.  However, he came back out with a band-aid beneath his right eye.

The Spurs now lead the season series with the Clippers 2-1.  LA dropped into 5th place in the Western Conference behind Utah.  The Clippers host Charlotte on Sunday, where they’ll look to get back in the win column.

February 23rd, 2017

I’m not saying the Warriors have the Clippers number or anything.  However, I am saying that after last night they have beaten LA ten times in a row.  The Warriors handed LA a 123-113 loss at Oracle on Thursday, in a game that felt more like a lion playing with its food before devouring it.

The Clippers led by 16 points at one point in the 2nd quarter, and took a 61-49 lead into the locker room.  However, in typical Clipper fashion, DeAndre Jordan lost his composure and picked up a technical foul at the end of the half.  DJ was upset that no foul was called on the final play of the half.  That moment alone may have changed the momentum.

Golden State exploded in the 3rd quarter for 50 points, which was the first 50-point quarter in the NBA since the Lakers had 51 against the Knicks in March of 2014.  The eruption was led by Steph Curry, who scored 17 of his 35 points in that 3rd quarter.  Those 17 points came in a stretch of only 3:37.  Kevin Durant scored 15 of 25 points in the 3rd as well, to go along with 15 rebounds and 7 assists.

“Well, we stopped playing,” Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said. “I thought the game plan was great. I thought we played with energy defensively. They scored 50 points in the third quarter and I was more upset with our offense.”

DeAndre Jordan had 17 points and 11 rebounds in the loss, while Austin Rivers had 19 points.  LA even had 6 players in double figures, and their bench outscored the Warriors 51-32.  Still, their efforts were no match for the Warriors trio of Curry, Durant, and Klay Thompson, who combined for 78 points.

I’m sure Doc Rivers is trying to convince himself that things could be different when Chris Paul came back.  However, we’ve already seen that movie before.  As great as Chris Paul is, the trio of Jordan-Paul-Griffin is no match for Curry-Durant-Thompson as well as Draymond Green.

The Clippers seem unlikely to catch the Rockets for 3rd place in West.  They are tied for 4th place with the Jazz.  However, they would probably be better off dropping into 6th place, so they don’t have to face the Warriors in the 2nd round of the playoffs.  The Grizzlies are currently in 6th, 1.5 games behind LA.  With 25 games left, the Clippers need to catch lightning in a bottle.

February 15th, 2017

The Clippers extended their win streak to 4 in a row, as they took down the Hawks at Staples Center on Wednesday night, 99-84.  Blake Griffin scored 17 points, 9 assists and 5 rebounds to lead the way for LA.

JJ Redick scored 15 points and Austin Rivers added 13, as the Clippers beat the Hawks at Staples for the first time since March 8th, 2014.

The Clippers started to pull away from Atlanta in the 2nd quarter, sparked by a 29-12 run, which included a stretch of 5 3-pointers.  That gave LA as 54-40 lead at the half.

Atlanta was led by Dennis Schroder with 15 points, along with Dwight Howard, who had 11.  However, they trailed by as many as 22 in the 3rd quarter.

Both teams rested their starters in the 4th quarter, but the Clippers defense had another great night.  They held Paul Milsap to just 8 points, and Kent Bazemore to 2.

Its a nice run for the Clippers but things won’t be easy after the All-Star break.  They’ll have to play the 1st place Golden State Warriors in Oakland on February 23rd.  They can worry about that another day, and enjoy their streak for now.