Clippers vanquish Pacers in Indiana
INDIANAPOLIS — Chris Paul scored 29 points, and Blake Griffin finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds to help the Los Angeles Clippers hold off Indiana’s late charge for a 99-91 victory Thursday.
The Clippers have won three straight and seven of their past eight.
David West led the Pacers with 22 points, while All-Star Paul George had 20 points and five assists. Danny Granger finished with a season-high 12 points.
But without the suspended Roy Hibbert, the Pacers barely resembled the team that had won five straight by an average margin of 23.8 points.
Instead, Indiana had the lead only once in the first half and only three times in the third quarter — never by more than two points.
And each time Indiana appeared to be on the verge of taking control, the Clippers answered the challenge.
Jamal Crawford scored 23 points off the bench for Los Angeles and the Clippers forced Indiana into 20 turnovers.
ANOTHER GAME
Bulls 93, 76ers 82 at Chicago: Joakim Noah had 23 points, 21 rebounds and a career-high 11 blocks for his third career tripledouble and Chicago ended a two-game losing streak.
Carlos Boozer added 21 points and 12 rebounds while Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng had 15 and 12 points, respectively, as the Bulls completed a three- game regular season series sweep.
Noah tied the Bulls record for blocks in a regulation game, previously set by Artis Gilmore in 1977.
Jrue Holiday paced the Sixers with 22 points, Spencer Hawes added 20 points and 15 rebounds.
The loss was Philadelphia’s season-high seventh in a row.
IN A DEVELOPMENT
Sacramento unveils plan to keep Kings: Mayor Kevin Johnson says Sacramento is back in the ballgame after announcing that two investors want to buy the NBA’s Kings and build a downtown arena to stop the proposed move of city’s only major league sports team to Seattle.
Mark Mastrov, founder of 24 Hour Fitness, will submit a bid for the team to the NBA on Friday, Johnson said in a speech Thursday night. Mastrov was among the final bidders for the Golden State Warriors before Joe Lacob and Peter Guber bought the team for an NBA-record $450 million in 2010.
“I’ve been assured by the commissioner of the NBA that we will be given full consideration,” said Johnson, Sacramento’s two-term mayor and a former NBA All-Star.
It had been rumored for weeks that Mastrov would partner with Ron Burkle, the billionaire co-owner of the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins, to buy the team. Instead Johnson said that Burkle will lead the effort to build a new downtown arena that he also hopes will lure back to Sacramento another WNBA franchise.