Harris scores 22, Clippers down Wizards

LOS ANGELES — In a season where putting up lots of points has been a nightly occurrence, the Los Angeles Clippers have also been trying to win with their defense.

Tobias Harris scored 22 points to lead nine players in double-figures as the Los Angeles Clippers coasted to a 136-104 victory over the Washington Wizards on Sunday night.

“It was because of our defense,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. “Everybody’s excited about the offense, but its the defense that does the dirty work and allows everybody to score.”

Lou Williams added 17 points on his 32nd birthday for the Clippers, who shot 54 percent from the field, made 16-of-29 3-pointers, and outrebounded Washington 57-45.

“As a team, we want to not only be known as an offensive team in the West, but a defensive team as well,” said Avery Bradley who had 15 points. “We know defense wins games, and that’s our mentality going into games.”

Two nights after posting a 133-113 road victory over the Houston Rockets, the Clippers held the Wizards to a season-low in points and won for the fourth time in their last five games.

“We know what we have in the locker room,” said Clippers guard Patrick Beverley. “Whatever the standings might be, whatever is said on paper, you’ve got to play the game. And we like to play the game.”

Bradley Beal scored 20 points and John Wall added 18 for Washington, which shot 40 percent and missed 22 of 27 3s. The Wizards are 1-5 this season and have lost 11 in a row to the Clippers in Los Angeles, dating back to Feb. 13, 2008.

“Our defense was horrendous. I don’t know how we expect to win,” said Wizards reserve guard Austin Rivers. “Teams are just walking into the paint, making layups, getting open threes. It just comes from effort and talking. You’ve just got to have personal pride. You’ve got to get mad when somebody scores on you.”

After Washington pulled within 81-71, the Clippers ran off 16 unanswered points, including three 3-pointers by Patrick Beverley, for a 97-71 lead with 2:15 left in the third. The Wizards missed three shots and turned the ball over twice in the run.

Leading 21-18, the Clippers capped a 14-2 spurt with a 3-pointer by Williams for a 35-20 advantage with 10:58 left in the second quarter. After two free throws by Jeff Green, back-to-back lay-ins by Harris gave Los Angeles its biggest lead to that point at 42-24 with 9:24 left in the half.


The Wizards got within 52-45 only to see the Clippers expand their lead to 69-54 by halftime. Back-to-back dunks by Harris early in the third quarter put Los Angeles up 77-60 with 8:26 left in the third.

We have to be one of the best teams chemistry-wise,” Harris said of the Clippers. “It’s just a matter of us continuing to build on that, and I think we’ve still got a ways to go in that department.”

TIP-INS

Wizards: Markieff Morris (flu-like symptoms) was a game-time decision. The Wizards were playing their fourth of five road games, their longest trip of the season, and fourth straight in the Pacific Time Zone. … Dwight Howard (gluteal soreness) missed his fifth straight game working out back in Washington.

Clippers: Avery Bradley’s 3-pointer with 4:58 left in the first quarter, his third of the game, was the 600th of his NBA career. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sank a 3-point shot from the center circle as time expired in the first quarter to give the Clippers a 28-20 lead. … Luc Mbah a Moute (sore left knee) sat out his second straight game.

FAMILY REUNION

The game was the first in which Doc Rivers coached against his son, Austin Rivers, since Austin was traded by the Clippers to the Wizards in June after four years with the lippers.

“In New Orleans (in 2014), at least the first time, it was really cool. I didn’t even know what to do. Shake his hand? Wish him luck?” said Doc Rivers. “Now, you just want to beat him. And he wants to beat me. That’s the way it is.”

MULTIPLE MILESTONES

With his fourth rebound with 3:59 left in the half, Marcin Gortat moved past Al Horford into 15th place on the NBA’s all-time Total Rebound list, and finished with seven for the game, putting him at 6,153 rebounds for his career. John Wall played his 547th game for the Wizards, moving him into 9th place on the team’s all-time list, one behind Jeff Malone.

RIVERS HOT OVER LUE

Doc Rivers did not mince words when asked about the Cavaliers decision to fire Tyronn Lue on Sunday.

“We talked for a long time because he’s really disappointed,” said Rivers. “But he has a lot to be proud of. He did a heck of a job in extreme circumstances. I’m probably no prouder of anybody who’s played for me and been a coach under me than Ty Lue. It makes me so angry when you see stuff like that, but there’s nothing you can do about it. He handled it better than me. He handled it with amazing class, thanked everybody. He’s better than me.”

UP NEXT

Wizards: Conclude a five-game road trip in Memphis on Tuesday night.

Clippers: At Oklahoma City, where they’ve lost three in a row, on Tuesday night.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Warriors come back to beat Wizards; Green, Beal ejected

OAKLAND, Calif. — Golden State lost its emotional leader when Draymond Green was ejected shortly before halftime. The defending champs were sloppy again, even forgetting several plays after one timeout and still somehow won — but it has hardly been easy so far.

Kevin Durant had 31 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to help rally the Warriors from 18 points down and beat the Wizards 120-117 on Friday night, a game marred by a fight between Green and Washington’s Bradley Beal that led to both being tossed.

Stephen Curry added 20 points, eight assists and five rebounds, hitting two 3s and two free throws in the final minute of the third quarter to get Golden State within 97-87 heading into the final 12 minutes. Then Klay Thompson and Durant made 3s early in the fourth for a four-point game. Thompson scored 18 points.

Durant’s jumper with 1:20 to go put Golden State up by five, but the Warriors still needed his two free throws with 9.4 seconds left. John Wall missed an off-balance 3 then Washington couldn’t capitalize on one final chance.

David West made two straight baskets for the Warriors midway through the fourth but Otto Porter Jr. hit consecutive 3-pointers for the Wizards, answering a 3 by Durant with a baseline dagger on the way to 29 points for the Wizards.

With 19.5 seconds left in the second quarter, Beal held the front of Green’s jersey with his left hand while grabbing Green around the jaw with his right. That enraged Green, who threw his right arm in frustration and wrapped arms with Beal as if hugging, then other players joined the scrum.

“It was a scuffle. I’m not going to go into details about it. I’ll do that with the league tomorrow,” Beal said. “We just got into it and things got out of hand and we both got ejected. I told my teammates I can’t put myself in a situation like that to leave them out there to battle out against a tough team without me out there.”

Green had to be pulled away from the skirmish by Andre Iguodala and Warriors security personnel. Green was tossed after getting his second technical foul. The back of his uniform was torn from near his right shoulder down to his waist.

“I thought Draymond defended himself and bit the bullet of being ejected for the game,” West said.

Green was hit with his first technical at the 8:05 mark of the second quarter for arguing an offensive foul call. He had six assists, three points, three rebounds and three blocks before his early exit.

The Warriors are still trying to figure things out, having given up 17 offensive rebounds two nights earlier in holding off the Raptors and also committing 17 turnovers — which they did again Friday.

Golden State began 1 for 10 from 3-point range while committing seven turnovers and allowing six 3s by early in the second quarter. But the Warriors did enough to win a fourth straight at home against the Wizards.

“We’re not ready, we’re still not ready,” coach Steve Kerr said. “We’re not locked in.”

Wall had 20 points and 14 assists for Washington. Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 19 and Marcin Gortat had 18 for the Wizards, whose three-game winning streak to open the season was snapped in embarrassing fashion with a 102-99 overtime loss at the Lakers on Wednesday.

AL ATTLES NIGHT

The Warriors honored beloved Al Attles, who missed his tribute night because he’s in the hospital. The 80-year-old Attles is in his 58th year with the franchise as a player, coach of the 1975 title team, a GM and now ambassador.

Kerr wore an itchy, “100 percent polyester” retro suit for the occasion, while Warriors players wore shooting shirts featuring his likeness and a bobblehead was the giveaway.

His wife, Wilhelmina Attles, son, Alvin Attles III, and Hall of Famer Rick Barry represented him during an on-court tribute after the first quarter.

“Great to honor him,” Kerr said. “I know our fans who have been following us for a long time know about Al’s influence, but 57 years with the organization, obviously he won the championship with the team in ’75, was GM, drafted Chris Mullin, one of the best players early on in the Warriors history. He’s pretty much done it all. Fitting tonight we will honor him and his family. We know he’ll be watching on TV. I hope he’s not offended by my suit.”

TIP-INS

Wizards: Washington shot 15 for 33 on 3s. … C Ian Mahinmi played almost 13 minutes after he had been questionable with a sprained left ankle.

Warriors: Key reserve Shaun Livingston was out for personal reasons to attend a funeral. … Rookie Jordan Bell was inactive for the first time as C JaVale McGee became available after sitting out Wednesday against Toronto. “Some guys are guaranteed minutes every night, some aren’t,” Kerr said of his plans in the season’s early stages.

UP NEXT

Wizards: At Sacramento on Sunday.

Warriors: Host Pistons on Sunday seeking an eighth consecutive home victory in the series.

source: sports.inquirer.net