NBA: Clippers beat Mavericks despite 45 points by Luka Doncic

Reggie Jackson scored 24 points and Terance Mann added a season-high 21 as the visiting Los Angeles Clippers withstood a fourth-quarter barrage by Luka Doncic for a 99-97 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.

Doncic finished with 45 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists after scoring 23 points in the fourth quarter, including 19 straight to end the game.

Doncic scored with eight seconds left to cut the Clippers' lead to 98-97 before Jackson made one of two foul shots with 3.4 seconds left. Los Angeles escaped with the win after Doncic's shot from 35 feet out missed the mark.

Marcus Morris Sr. scored 20 points and Amir Coffey 11 for the Clippers, who snapped a three-game losing streak and avenged a 112-105 loss to the Mavericks on Thursday.

Clippers center Ivica Zubac tallied 11 points, 10 rebounds and a season-high six assists in a game that featured 14 lead changes.

Jalen Brunson scored 22 points and Reggie Bullock added 17 for the Mavericks, whose four-game winning streak came to an end.

The Clippers led by 10 early in the fourth quarter before Dallas battled back and cut the deficit to 92-89 on Doncic's 3-pointer with 1:38 remaining.

After Jackson responded with four straight points, Dallas pulled within 97-92 when Doncic scored with 1:07 left.

Los Angeles clearly focused on slowing down Doncic, who scored 28 of his career-high 51 points in the first quarter in Dallas' victory on Thursday.

The strategy worked early as Doncic was held to nine points on 3-of-9 shooting in the opening quarter. Dallas led 26-23 after the Clippers missed nine of their first 11 attempts from beyond the arc.

Coffey scored nine points in the second quarter for Los Angeles, which carried a 49-48 lead into halftime.

Dallas committed seven turnovers in the third quarter and trailed 70-67 after the Clippers ended the period on a 9-3 run.

Mann grabbed nine rebounds starting in place of Norman Powell (left big toe). Tempers flared between Mann and Doncic in the fourth quarter and double technicals were assessed with 3:30 left.

Dallas played without Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans, who were acquired from the Washington Wizards for Kristaps Porzingis at Thursday's trade deadline.

-reuters-

NBA: Nikola Jokic's big effort helps Nuggets hold off Clippers

Nikola Jokic had 26 points, matched his career best of 22 rebounds and also contributed eight assists as the visiting Denver Nuggets rallied to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 103-100 on Sunday night.

Will Barton scored 17, Davon Reed added 15 points and Austin Rivers and Monte Morris had 12 apiece for Denver.

Eric Bledsoe had 18 points and a season-high 10 assists, Brandon Boston Jr. also scored 18 points and Ivica Zubac recorded 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Terance Mann had 11 points and eight rebounds and Serge Ibaka scored 10 for the Clippers.

The Nuggets missed their first two shots of the fourth and fell behind 86-79 before Rivers drained a 3-pointer to end the drought. Los Angeles increased its lead to 91-82 on Amir Coffey's 3-pointer with 9:04 remaining but Denver found its offense.

Barton had a three-point play and a 12-foot jumper and Reed and Jokic hit buckets in an 11-2 run that tied it.

Zubac split a pair of free throws Jokic drained a 3-pointer to put the Nuggets ahead 96-94 with 3:50 to play. Barton made a layup after a miss at the other end and Rivers' second 3-pointer of the period made it 101-95 with 1:53 left.

A Denver turnover led to a 3-pointer from Luke Kennard to make it 101-100 with 19.7 seconds left. Jokic hit two free throws with 12.7 left and Boston missed a 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

Denver led by two after the first quarter but the Nuggets built a lead in the second. Reed hit a 16-footer and a 3-pointer and Bones Hyland made two layups in a 9-0 run that gave Denver a 46-35 lead. The Clippers got within six on Bledsoe's three-point play but Barton's five points put the Nuggets ahead 64-55 at halftime.

Denver continued to add to the lead to start the third quarter, going up 74-57 with 7:45 left but Los Angeles rallied.

Down 79-66, the Clippers scored 17 straight points while the Nuggets went cold for the final 5:34 of the period. They missed their final 12 shots and ended the quarter with two straight turnovers. Los Angeles outscored Denver 28-15 in the period.

-reuters

NBA: Jazz remain on roll, defeat Clippers for 8th straight win

Donovan Mitchell scored 19 of his 27 points in the second half and three other Utah Jazz players scored at least 20 points in a 124-103 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City.

Jordan Clarkson scored 21 points, Rudy Gobert tallied 20 points with 17 rebounds and Bojan Bogdanovic added 20 points to help lift the Jazz to their eighth straight win.

Marcus Morris Sr. led the Clippers with 24 points and eight rebounds, while Eric Bledsoe contributed 21 points with eight assists as Los Angeles saw its four-game winning streak come to an end.

The Clippers played without Paul George (sore right elbow) for a fourth straight game. Kawhi Leonard (knee) and Nicolas Batum (ankle) were also on the sideline for this rematch of the 2021 Western Conference semifinals.

Mitchell, who had a quiet first half, gave Utah its first double-digit lead, 76-65, with 7:18 left in the third quarter. Mitchell continued to attack the basket and finished with 13 points in that quarter after scoring just eight in the opening half.

Mike Conley opened the quarter with a 3 and closed it with a bucket to put Utah up 93-81. He finished with nine points.

The Jazz outscored the Clippers 31-22 in the fourth quarter to ice the victory.

Utah scored the final six points of the first quarter to take a 35-31 lead.

The Jazz were up 38-33 when the Clippers went on a tear, scoring 12 straight sparked by back-to-back 3-pointers from Jackson and Bledsoe. Ivica Zubac then gave L.A. its biggest lead at 47-40.

Utah responded with a 13-2 surge, which included seven points from Clarkson. That helped the Jazz go into the break ahead 65-59.

Hassan Whiteside had another nice game for Utah off the bench with 11 points and seven rebounds, while starter Royce O'Neale added seven points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals.

-reuters

NBA: Clippers complete 5-1 home run with win over Spurs

Paul George scored 34 points and Reggie Jackson added 21 as the Los Angeles Clippers finished off a 5-1 homestand on Tuesday with a 106-92 victory over the visiting San Antonio Spurs.

Rookie Brandon Boston Jr. scored a career-high 13 points as the Clippers rebounded from their only loss of the month, 100-90 to the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.

Ivica Zubac had 13 rebounds for the Clippers on Tuesday as Los Angeles had a 52-40 overall rebounding advantage over the smaller Spurs. San Antonio shot just 5 of 22 (22.7 percent) from 3-point range.  

Dejounte Murray tallied 26 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists as the Spurs lost their third consecutive game and fell for the sixth time in their last eight. Murray was coming off a 22-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double in a loss at the L.A. Lakers on Sunday.

Derrick White added 19 points for San Antonio on Tuesday, while Thaddeus Young and Keldon Johnson added 10 points each.

With the game tied 69-all and 5:49 remaining in the third quarter, the Clippers went on a 14-2 run to take an 83-71 advantage into the final period. Jackson scored seven of Los Angeles' final nine points in the run.

The Clippers pushed the advantage to 91-73 with 8:55 remaining after a basket by Bledsoe. The Spurs got as close as nine points twice in the final 5:15, including 99-90 with 2:01 remaining, before the Clippers put the game away.

Drew Eubanks had 10 rebounds for the Spurs, who fell to 2-6 on the road. Devin Vassell scored just two points for San Antonio after he had averaged 18 over the three previous games.

George delivered his fifth game of at least 30 points this season.

The Clippers were playing without Terance Mann, who tweaked his left ankle Sunday against the Bulls.

-reuters

NBA: Grizzlies win 2nd straight to open season, defeat Clippers

Ja Morant took his high-flying act on the road, as the visiting Memphis Grizzlies ran past the host Los Angeles Clippers 120-114 on Saturday night.

Morant finished with 28 points and eight assists as the Grizzlies improved to 2-0 this season. The Clippers dropped to 0-2 in losing their home opener.

De'Anthony Melton added 22 points and seven rebounds, while Jaren Jackson Jr. contributed 21 points and seven rebounds. Steven Adams posted 17 points and nine board.

All five starters finished in double figures for the Grizzlies, rounded out by 19 points from Desmond Bane.

Paul George paced the Clippers with game highs of 41 points and 10 rebounds, and he added four assists.

Reggie Jackson got back on track after finishing with just 11 points, none in the first half, in the Clippers' season-opening loss at Golden State Warriors. Jackson totaled 17 against the Grizzlies.

Eric Bledsoe finished with 12 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Luke Kennard added 10 points off the bench. The Clippers shot just 43.4 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from the 3-point line.

Los Angeles took a 34-25 lead in the opening quarter on the strength of 10 points by George. The Clippers shot 6-of-12 from the 3-point line and finished the first quarter on a 10-0 run.

Los Angeles led by as many as 13 in the second quarter, but Memphis cut the deficit to 62-59 at halftime.

Memphis took its first lead since the first quarter on a Morant drive in transition, giving his team a 68-66 lead with just under 10 minutes left in the third quarter. The Grizzlies extended that lead to 16 points, but the Clippers finished the quarter on a 14-6 run, cutting the Grizzlies' lead to 97-89 at the end of the third.

Los Angeles would get within two points with under a minute left in the fourth quarter on driving George lay-in, but the Grizzlies closed it out with a Jaren Jackson 3-pointer from the wing.

The Clippers finish their homestand with games against Portland and Cleveland. Memphis continues a four-game road trip out West with games against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors.

-reuters-

NBA: Clippers re-sign star Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard is sticking with the Los Angeles Clippers, the NBA club announcing Thursday they had re-signed their star forward.

The Clippers didn't release terms of the deal, but ESPN reported that Leonard inked a four-year, $176.3 million max deal that includes a player option in the fourth year.

Leonard had declined his player option for $36 million in the upcoming season to become a free agent.

"Kawhi is a transcendent player and a relentless worker who improves himself every day," Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said in a statement.

"We share many of the same goals, which include a long-term relationship. This agreement marks another important moment for our franchise and our fans, as we strive to create a championship-caliber organization, where players find the success and fulfillment they seek. We’re eager to continue building with Kawhi."

Last season, was Leonard's second with the Clippers. He played in 52 games, averaging 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and a career-high 5.2 assists while shooting 51.2 percent from the field and 88.5 percent from the free-throw line.

But Leonard missed the final eight games of the Clippers' playoff campaign after injuring his right knee against the Utah Jazz.

He had surgery to repair torn ligaments in July and will likely be sidelined when the 2021-22 season begins.

"For now, we will do whatever we can to support him in his recovery from injury," Frank said. "We look forward to seeing him back where he wants to be, on the court with his teammates."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Celtics hold on to beat Clippers, Raptors edge Nets with Durant out

Jayson Tatum scored a team-high 34 points and Kemba Walker delivered a late surge as the Boston Celtics rallied from a first-half deficit to hold on and edge the Los Angeles Clippers 119-115 on Friday.

Walker tallied 24 points and Carsen Edwards came off the bench to score 16 as the Celtics took over in the third quarter, setting the stage for a thrilling back and forth final quarter.

Kawhi Leonard scored 28 points and Lou Williams added 18 for Los Angeles, who saw its six-game win streak at Staples Center arena halted.

Both teams were without key starters. Boston was missing Jaylen Brown who sat out with a sore knee and the Clippers, were minus Paul George because of a toe injury and Patrick Beverley (knee). 

The Clippers led by as many as 16 points late in the second quarter and went into halftime with a 62-51 lead.

In Brooklyn, Pascal Siakam scored a season-high 33 points as the Toronto Raptors recorded a 123-117 win over the Brooklyn Nets, who lost forward Kevin Durant twice in the same game due to Covid-19 contact tracing protocols. 

Siakam added 11 rebounds and six assists while shooting 12 of 23 from the floor and Kyle Lowry scored a season-high 30 points for the Raptors, who won for the eighth time in 12 games. 

Lowry tied a season-best with a half dozen threes and helped clinch the victory by scoring on a layup with 35 seconds left to give Toronto a 121-113 lead.

"We missed some open looks and Lowry made some big shots," Nets coach Steve Nash said. "You add it all up and they found separation in the last couple of minutes."

The Raptors also took advantage of the loss off Durant who was held out of the starting lineup. 

Durant was pulled from the starting lineup shortly before the opening tipoff and then allowed to come into the game in the first quarter. He scored eight points in 19 minutes before he was told by Nets officials to leave the bench and return to the dressing room midway through the third. 

- Durant pulled in third -

It was the first time in his 867-game career that Durant entered a game as a reserve.

In Florida, Nikola Vucevic scored a career-high 43 points and added 19 rebounds as the Orlando Magic held off the Chicago Bulls for a 123-119 victory. 

Vucevic's hot start included scoring 13 points in the game's first three minutes. 

Vucevic set his career high with two free throws with two seconds left in the game. He surpassed his previous high of 41 points, which he scored in 2017 against Brooklyn. 

"It felt great to have a career high in a win because the last one was a loss," Vucevic said. "It's much better when you win because you can enjoy these things more when you win. I'm most happy about the win because I thought we had great effort from the beginning."

Chicago's Zach LaVine took over late, scoring 24 of his team-high 26 points in the fourth quarter, but it wasn't enough to get Chicago the win.

Also, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 33 points as the Milwaukee Bucks opened a six-game road trip with a 123-105 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Antetokounmpo echoed the comments from LeBron James a day earlier that the 2021 all-star game should not go ahead because of the short off season due to the global pandemic.

"The big dog says he has zero excitement and zero energy for the all-star game, and I'm the same way. I really right now don't care about the all-star game. We cannot see our families," he said.

Elsewhere, Brandon Ingram scored 30 points and Lonzo Ball added 20 as the New Orleans Pelicans held off the Indiana Pacers for a 114-113 victory in Indianapolis. 

Zion Williamson scored 18, Steven Adams had 12 points and 12 rebounds, JJ Redick scored 12 and Josh Hart scored 11 for New Orleans.

Agence France-Presse

Westbrook scores 40 as Rockets rally to defeat Clippers

LOS ANGELES — Russell Westbrook scored a season-high 40 points, James Harden added 28 and the Houston Rockets rallied from a 16-point deficit in the second half to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 122-117 Thursday night.

After Houston turned a 77-61 deficit into a 101-89 lead, Los Angeles went on a spurt of its own to lead 113-107 with 4:29 left. The Rockets closed on a 15-4 run to snap the Clippers’ 10-game home winning streak.


Paul George led the Clippers with 34 points and Kawhi Leonard added 25.

It was the second straight game Houston rallied from a large deficit. They trailed by 25 on Monday night against San Antonio before winning by two, marking the largest comeback in franchise history. The Rockets are 7-6 when trailing by double digits this season.

Clippers guard Patrick Beverley had yet another tense night against Westbrook and was ejected with 2:52 remaining after receiving his second technical. Westbrook was also given a technical for taunting Beverley as he left the floor.

The Clippers led 69-54 at halftime and extended their lead to 16 three minutes into the third quarter before the Rockets went on a 14-2 run. They scored nine of the last 10 points in the period to lead 90-87 going into the fourth. Westbrook keyed the rally with 11 points in the quarter and Harden scored nine after going 2 for 7 from the field during the first half.

Houston held a 16-8 advantage midway through the first quarter before the Clippers went on a 12-0 run with four straight 3-pointers by Leonard, Beverley, Shamet and George.

The game remained close until Los Angeles went on a 21-5 run during a five-minute span in the second quarter to take a 65-48 lead with 2:14 remaining. George led the way with 11 points, including three 3-pointers.

MILESTONE
George grabbed his 4,000th career rebound during the second quarter. He is one of 10 active players that has at least 12,000 points, 4,000 rebounds, 2,000 assists and 1,000 steals.

TIP-INS
Rockets: Harden recorded 10 assists and has 4,412 with Houston, passing Calvin Murphy (4,402) for the most in franchise history.

Clippers: Lou Williams was ejected with 11:05 remaining in the fourth quarter after receiving two technicals for arguing a foul. It is the second ejection of Williams’ 14-year career. … This was the 4,000th regular season game in franchise history.

UP NEXT
Rockets: Travel to Phoenix on Saturday. Houston has won 12 straight in the series.

Clippers: Travel to San Antonio on Saturday. Los Angeles won the first meeting 103-97 on Oct. 31.

source: sports.inquirer.net

NBA-best Raptors hand Clippers worst loss of season

LOS ANGELES — Kyle Lowry was in a funk right along with his Toronto Raptors. He had a combined 15 points in his last five games while the team had lost three of four.

Adding to their woes, leading scorer Kawhi Leonard was out with a bruised right hip against the surprising Clippers.


“It was just time for me to step up and play,” Lowry said.

Serge Ibaka had 25 points and nine rebounds, Lowry added 21 points while making four of the Raptors’ 14 3-pointers, and Toronto cruised past Los Angeles 123-99 on Tuesday night.

“We didn’t slow it down,” Lowry said.

Toronto shot 52 percent from the floor, had 34 assists and outscored the Clippers 28-4 in fast-break points.

“This was a game everybody thought would be very difficult for us to win,” coach Nick Nurse said, “but we kind of lined up all these things and were very focused.”

Fred VanVleet kept the ball moving in place of Leonard with a career-high 14 assists.

“Whether Kawhi played or not, I think he was going to have a healthy game,” VanVleet said of Lowry. “When he’s playing like that, we’re going to be a tough team to beat.”

The Clippers endured their biggest loss of the season against the NBA’s best team (22-7).

“From the start you could see the Raptors pushing the pace at us the entire game,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said, “and we really never caught up to it.”

With leading scorer Tobias Harris held to 10 points — he averages 21.4 — the Clippers were led by a pair of reserves.

Boban Marjanovic had 18 points and Tyrone Wallace added 15. Their fourth loss in six games dropped them into a tie for second with the Lakers at 17-10 in the Pacific Division.

“We just gave in to their offensive pressure,” Rivers said.

The Raptors extended their lead in the third quarter, using an early 10-0 run followed by five consecutive 3-pointers to go into the fourth ahead 103-74. Lowry hit three of the 3s and Delon Wright had two.

“When he let go he knew it was going in,” Nurse said of Lowry.

Ibaka had back-to-back monster dunks before the 3-point onslaught began, drawing cheers on Canada Night at Staples Center.

Both teams played their reserves in the fourth, but the Clippers were too far behind to make a serious dent.

TIP-INS

Raptors: Nurse plans to coach at Golden State on Wednesday before returning to Carroll, Iowa, where his 94-year-old mother died Monday. “He said before the game she would have kicked his butt if he wasn’t here,” Lowry said. “That just shows the toughness in his family.” … They improved to 6-0 vs. the West. … After their current four-game trip, the Raptors won’t travel beyond the Central time zone for the rest of the season. … Wright got stitches above his right eye. … G Norman Powell missed his 18th straight game with a left shoulder injury.

Clippers: G Lou Williams sat out with a sore left hamstring that he sustained on Monday at Phoenix. … With the team trailing by 29, longtime fan Billy Crystal had seen enough and departed before the fourth quarter began. … They lost at home for just the third time in 12 games. … They’ve lost four of six overall. … They were beaten at home by the Raptors for the first time since Nov. 22, 2015.

UP NEXT

Raptors: At Golden State on Wednesday in the second game of a back-to-back. They are 5-0 on the second night this season.

Clippers: At San Antonio on Thursday. They beat the Spurs by five points last month.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Westbrook, Beverley clash as Thunder roll

OKLAHOMA CITY — Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley aren’t done yet with their long-running feud.

Westbrook scored 32 points and had another run-in with Beverley during the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 128-110 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night.


The Thunder outscored the Clippers 39-10 in the third quarter, and Westbrook and Beverley provided the only drama in the fourth. Beverley dove at a dribbling Westbrook and made contact just above Westbrook’s left knee, and both were issued technicals after jawing in front of the benches. Police officers stepped onto the court to help keep the teams separated. Upon review, Beverley’s foul was ruled a flagrant 1.

There’s plenty of history between the two. Westbrook tore the lateral meniscus in his right knee during the playoffs in 2013 when Beverley, then playing for the Houston Rockets, lunged for the ball as Westbrook prepared to call timeout. Westbrook missed the rest of the playoffs and part of the next season. In March 2014, the first time the two played again, Beverley swiped the ball away from Westbrook after a timeout and drew a technical, and Beverley and Westbrook had to be separated.

Westbrook has had a history of knee problems. He had a procedure on his right knee that cost him the preseason and the first two games of the regular season.

He didn’t directly address Beverley’s action on Tuesday.

“I have no comment on it,” Westbrook said. “I just know that we won.”

Beverley felt like he did nothing wrong, and said his reputation plays a role in the calls he gets.

“I feel like I went for a loose ball,” he said. “I don’t know. I don’t know. I went for a loose ball and the ref looked at it on tape and felt like it was a flagrant, and I’ve got to accept it.”

Westbrook was animated throughout the game. On several occasions, he pretended to rock a baby to sleep. Though Westbrook and his wife have twin girls on the way, it turns out the motion wasn’t about them.

“Yeah, you got little kids,” Westbrook said. “You got to put them to sleep. You got little kids on you, that’s what happens. Little guards.”


Paul George had 32 points and 12 rebounds, Steven Adams had 18 points and 10 rebounds and Dennis Schroder added 15 points for the Thunder. Oklahoma City won its second straight after four losses to start the season.

Danilo Gallinari led the Clippers with 27 points, but he scored just four in the second half. Lou Williams scored 17 points and Tobias Harris added 15 for Los Angeles.

The Clippers shot 55 percent in the first half to take a 67-54 lead.

The Thunder opened the second half on an 8-2 run to trim the Clippers’ lead to 69-62 before a timeout. Oklahoma City continued the surge, and a 3-pointer by Jerami Grant finally gave the Thunder a 70-69 lead. Oklahoma City extended the run to 23-2 and took a 77-69 lead.

The Thunder led 93-77 at the end of the third quarter. They shot 70 from the field in the period while holding Los Angeles to 24 percent shooting.

TIP-INS

Clippers: Defeated the Thunder 108-92 on Nov. 19. … Gallinari was called for a technical in the first quarter, and Marcin Gortat and Avery Bradley were called for techs in the second quarter. … Mike Scott hit a 3-pointer at the first-quarter buzzer.

Thunder: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, native Kristin Chenoweth sang the national anthem. She won a Tony Award in 1999 and an Emmy in 2009. … Thunder coach Billy Donovan was called for a technical in the first quarter.

THUNDER THREES

Oklahoma City had its best 3-point shooting game of the season, making 9 of 17 after entering the night with the worst percentage in the league.

“As long as we defend and score and put the ball in the basket, I don’t care if it’s two or three, it don’t really matter,” Westbrook said. “That’s for y’all and the analytics teams and all that.”

QUOTABLE

Paul George on Westbrook: “Russ don’t really like nobody. He’s that fiery no matter who’s matched up against him. It just doesn’t make it any better if it’s Pat out there.”

UP NEXT

Clippers are at the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.

Thunder are at the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night.

source: sports.inquirer.net

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

NBA fines Suns’ Jackson $35,000 for ‘menacing gesture’

PHOENIX, Arizona — The NBA has fined Phoenix Suns rookie Josh Jackson $35,000 for “making a menacing gesture” on the playing court and “directing inappropriate language at a fan.”

The incident occurred in the Suns’ 130-88 loss to the Clippers in Los Angeles last Saturday night.

Video appeared to show Jackson forming his fingers as a pretend gun and pointing it at the fan, but Jackson disputed that characterization.

Jackson said the fan had been heckling him loudly and aggressively throughout the game and that he wrongly decided to respond.

Jackson said at first he intended to flip his middle finger at the heckler but decided against it and that indecision led to his hand appearing to be a pretend gun.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Clippers Big 3 dominate Blazers

LOS ANGELES – Chris Paul had 28 points and 11 assists as one of three Clippers with a double-double, leading Los Angeles to a 115-95 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in the opener of their first-round playoff series Sunday (Monday Manila time).

Blake Griffin had 19 points and 12 rebounds, DeAndre Jordan added 18 points and 12 rebounds and J.J. Redick had 17 points. The Clippers are 6-0 with Griffin in the lineup since he returned from a 45-game absence two weeks ago.

Damian Lillard led the Blazers with 21 points, while backcourt mate CJ McCollum was held to nine points. They combined to average 45.9 points this season, third-highest by any duo in the NBA. Against the Clippers, they shot a combined 10 of 28.

Game 2 is Wednesday night at Staples Center.

Led by Paul and Griffin, the Clippers were their flashy Lob City selves – dunking, scoring in transition and diving after loose balls. The Blazers never got untracked while shooting under 40 percent for much of the game. Their only lead was by one point in the second quarter of the first postseason meeting between the teams.

The Clippers shot 54 percent, owned a 48-34 edge in the paint, and outscored Portland 30-13 over both halves to lead 65-48 in the third.

Griffin slammed down two dunks over Mason Plumlee early in the quarter, the second on a two-handed jam with Plumlee hanging off Griffin’s right side that drew a foul.

Midway through the second quarter, Paul scored 12 of the Clippers’ last 15 points to give them a 50-42 lead at the break. Their defense held Portland to seven points over the final 5:50 of the quarter.

Griffin dominated in the first quarter during a 16-7 run that gave the Clippers an eight-point lead, their largest of the first half. He scored eight points, dunking one-handed after knocking down Lillard and getting fouled hard by Plumlee on his way to the basket.

There was a mass exodus with the Clippers leading by 18 with 3:14 left in the game.

source: sports.inquirer.net

NBA: Clippers’s Griffin returns to practice

LOS ANGELES, United States — Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin returned to practice Saturday, moving closer to a return from thigh and hand injuries.

Griffin has missed the past 41 games and once he’s fit must still serve a four-game ban for the January incident in which he broke his right hand punching Clippers equipment staffer Matias Testi.

Griffin, who was sidelined by a quadriceps injury at the time, needed surgery, and his suspension won’t start until he is medically cleared to play.

“I don’t know if one practice is enough to activate him,” coach Doc Rivers said. “We’ve got to activate him when we think he’s ready to play.”

The Clippers would like to activate Griffin as soon as possible to get him some playing time prior to the start of the playoffs.

But just having him practicing with the team has its own benefits.

“We can start, kind of, putting our playoff stuff in,” Rivers said. “Now, even if he doesn’t play right away, at least we can work on it. That’ll help us.”

At this point, just having Griffin competing and contributing when the post-season begins next month is the goal.

“I don’t care if it’s zero (regular-season games), to be honest, now, as long as he’s playing to start the playoffs,” Rivers said. “Is that an ideal way of going into a playoff series? No, but I’d rather have him than not.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Chris Paul fined $25,000 for criticizing female official

NEW YORK — Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul has been fined $25,000 for criticizing a female official after a loss at Cleveland.

The NBA announced the fine on Saturday. Paul was given a technical by rookie referee Lauren Holtkamp on Thursday night in the third quarter of a 105-94 loss to the Cavaliers, a game that featured five technicals against the Clippers.

After the game, Paul called the technical on an inbounds play “ridiculous” and said “this might not be for her.” Holtkamp is one of two female officials in the NBA.

Paul appeared to say something to her as he waited for an inbound pass after a Cavaliers’ free throw. Paul said Friday that he was only upset with the call.

The penalty is in line with others the NBA has levied for criticism of officials.

source: sports.inquirer.net

NBA: Sterling banned for life over race comments

NEW YORK—The NBA on Tuesday banned Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling from professional basketball for life over racist comments that the league’s commissioner dubbed “deeply offensive and harmful.”

Sterling, an 80-year-old real estate tycoon who bought the Clippers in 1981, was fined $2.5 million—the maximum amount under the constitution of the National Basketball Association—and barred from all games, team facilities and NBA board meetings.

His comments had outraged players and coaches throughout the league, and sent skittish team sponsors running.

“The views expressed by Mr. Sterling are deeply offensive and harmful,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver told reporters in New York, saying that Sterling had confirmed he made the comments in question.

“That they came from an NBA owner only heightens the damage and my personal outrage,” added Silver, who has been on the job for less than three months.

Silver said he would urge the NBA board of governors to “exercise its authority to force a sale of the team” and would personally push for such a move.

“This has been a painful moment for all members of the NBA family,” he said. “This will take some time, and appropriate healing will be necessary.”

The controversy came to a head as the Clippers prepared for Game 5 of their first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, which was to take place later Tuesday in Los Angeles.

In a recording made public over the weekend, the man now confirmed to be Sterling told his much-younger girlfriend that he didn’t want her associating with black people or attending Clippers games with black friends.

“It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people. Do you have to?” Sterling says, later adding, “You can sleep with (black people). You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want.

“The little I ask you is not to promote it… and not to bring them to my games.”

Sterling has yet to comment publicly about the recordings.

Clippers players staged a silent on-court protest on Sunday, shedding their pre-game warm-up gear and wearing shirts inside-out to mask the team name and logo. They also wore black socks and wristbands during the game.

‘Full support’ of NBA owners

Silver told reporters that he had spoken to several NBA owners about the matter.

“I fully expect to get the support I need from the other NBA owners to remove him,” he said.

He explained that owners have the authority to remove him as the owner of the Clippers, subject to a 75 percent approval vote from owners of the league’s other 29 clubs.

Silver said Sterling had not expressed any remorse to him personally.

Ahead of Tuesday’s announcement, Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, the NBA’s first Indian-born owner, said on Twitter: “If TMZ recording is true, we must have zero tolerance.”

The game’s brightest stars of past and present had lined up against Sterling, whose team is now valued by Forbes magazine at $575 million.

“No. He should not continue owning the clippers. #nochance #noway nohow,” Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant tweeted.

Sponsors fled the Clippers on Monday, with Chumash Casino, auto dealer CarMax and others pulling out of their deals.

“These views directly conflict with CarMax’s culture of respect for all individuals,” it said.

Airline Virgin America, insurance giant State Farm, Kia Motors, Red Bull, Sprint and AQUAhydrate, a water brand owned by rap star Sean “Diddy” Combs, all said they would suspend their sponsorship.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Pacers 16-1 after 105-100 win over Clippers

LOS ANGELES — David West scored 14 of his 24 points in the third quarter and grabbed 12 rebounds, and Paul George had 27 points as the league-leading Indiana Pacers improved their best start in club history to 16 wins from 17 games with a 105-100 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.

Roy Hibbert added 19 points to the Pacers’ seventh straight win.




Jamal Crawford led the Clippers with 20 points. Chris Paul had 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Blake Griffin scored 16 and pulled down 12 rebounds — equaling teammate DeAndre Jordan’s total.

source: sports.inquirer.net