Clippers prove they rule LA
LOS ANGELES — Chris Paul and the Clippers have taken firm hold of supremacy in their Los Angeles rivalry with the Lakers.
The Clippers’ victory on Tuesday night was so dominant, Paul even got to slide in some unexpected family time at the end.
Paul scored 27 points before watching the completion of a blowout with his young son on the bench as the Clippers bombed the Lakers 133-109 for yet another win in the battle of LA.
The Clippers have won 17 of the past 19 meetings with the Lakers. They led by 30 at the half in this one, and eight different Clippers scored in double figures, including JJ Redick, with 24.
The Clippers shot 45.5 percent on their 3s (15 of 33), and for the second consecutive game, none of their starters played in the fourth quarter.
“I just like how we’re playing with pace right now,” said Clippers coach Doc Rivers. “More importantly, I like the way we defended in the first half.”
The Clippers led 13-2 to start the game and then blew it open in the second quarter, outscoring the Lakers by 21 to take a 70-40 lead at halftime
“Their team chemistry is off the charts,” Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell said. “They play really well together.”
The Lakers, who have won just one of their past 15 games, scored a lot of empty points late on, led by Brandon Ingram’s 21, Julius Randle’s 19 and Russell’s 18.
The Clippers spread the offense around, with Austin Rivers adding 18 points, Jamal Crawford 15, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan 12 each, and Marreese Speights and Brandon Bass adding 10 apiece.
Their suffocating defense led to stops, which in turn led to fast breaks.
“When we get stops like that, we’re dangerous,” Paul said.
The victory pulled the Clippers within a half-game of the sputtering Utah Jazz for fourth spot in the Western Conference and homecourt advantage in the playoffs.
The Clippers’ push to overcome the Jazz for fourth in the West could get an assist from the schedule.
Of their 10 remaining games, seven opponents have losing records and seven games are at home.
Lakers coach Luke Walton was none too pleased with his team’s second-quarter effort. In response, he sent out a lineup made up entirely of reserves to start the second half.
“The most important message was that playing without a certain amount of effort isn’t acceptable and won’t be tolerated,” Walton said.
The Clippers led 33-24 at the end of the first quarter, but then outscored the Lakers 37-16 in the second period. Rivers credited a defense that held the Lakers to 29.2 percent shooting in the quarter.
“Everybody has an identity and ours is length and athleticism,” Rivers said. “The only way we can use that is by getting stops, and when this team gets multiple stops, we become more athletic.”