Los Angeles Clippers Blog – Page 54 – NBA Blog

Matt Barnes playing big role for Clippers

These are good times for Clippers forward Matt Barnes.

He’s playing on a winning team and he’s playing a significant role off the bench.

His 25.2 minutes per game is the third highest of his nine-year career. He’s averaging 8.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.

“So far, behind that Golden State season, this is the most fun I’ve had with the collective group of guys like this,” said Barnes, who played with the Warriors in 2006-07 and 2007-08. “And we’re playing good basketball. So that’s a bonus.”

The Clippers really don’t run any plays for Barnes, who tied his season high of 19 points by scoring 11 in the fourth quarter Wednesday night against the Charlotte Bobcats.

— Reported by Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times

Clippers beat Bulls for 7th straight win

Chris Paul liked the way the Los Angeles Clippers grinded out an ugly win when they were challenged.

Blake Griffin had 22 points and 10 rebounds to help Los Angeles beat the Chicago Bulls 94-89 on Tuesday night for its seventh straight victory, the team’s longest winning streak in two decades.

Marco Belinelli hit a 3-pointer with less than a minute left to cut Chicago’s deficit to 89-87, but Paul answered with a floater in the lane, then iced it with three free throws down the stretch as Los Angeles snapped the Bulls’ season-high three-game winning streak.

Paul finished with 18 points and four assists, below the 20 and 10 he averaged in his first dozen games against Chicago but enough for the Clippers to sweep the season series for the first time since 2009-10…

The Clippers (15-6) are on their longest winning streak since an eight-game run during the 1991-92 season. They have won 10 of 12 at the United Center.

Carlos Boozer scored 24 points and pulled down 13 rebounds for the Bulls, who had won five of six overall…

Griffin had 26 points and 10 rebounds in his team’s 101-80 win over Chicago on Nov. 17 in Los Angeles.

Joakim Noah finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds. It marked the first time the Bulls have lost when both Noah and Boozer have double-doubles (8-1).

Luol Deng was held to just eight points, his lowest output since a seven-point performance in Chicago’s season opener.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Josh Smith and Blake Griffin named NBA Players of Week

The Atlanta Hawks’ Josh Smith and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin today were named Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Dec. 3, through Sunday, Dec. 9.

In helping the Hawks go 3-0 on the week, Smith ranked fifth in the Eastern Conference in scoring (21.0 ppg) and rebounding (12.0 rpg), and tied for sixth in steals (2.00 spg). Smith grabbed a season-high 15 boards in a 104-95 win vs. Washington on Dec. 7, and followed that up the following night with a season-high three steals in a 93-83 triumph at Memphis.

Griffin averaged a point/rebound double-double in leading the Clippers to four wins in as many games. Among Western Conference players, Griffin ranked ninth in scoring (23.0 ppg), seventh in rebounding (10.0 rpg), and second in steals (2.50 spg). Additionally, Griffin’s .639 field goal percentage ranked sixth in the conference. In a 117-99 win over Phoenix Dec. 8, Griffin recorded a career-best four steals to go along with 24 points and eight rebounds.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Atlanta’s Al Horford, Boston’s Rajon Rondo, Chicago’s Joakim Noah, Golden State’s Stephen Curry and David Lee, Memphis’ Zach Randolph, New York’s Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, Orlando’s Glen Davis, Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins, and San Antonio’s Tony Parker.

Clippers beat Raptors for 6th straight win

The Los Angeles Clippers were lacking energy through three quarters. Their backups came in and changed the game again.

Jamal Crawford led a fourth-quarter rally by the reserves with 16 points and the Clippers defeated Toronto 102-83 on Sunday to win their sixth in a row while handing the Raptors their 10th consecutive road loss.

The backups gave Los Angeles its first double-digit lead of the game after Toronto kept it close through the first three periods before dropping its fourth straight and 10th in its last 11. The Raptors have just four wins this season.

Eric Bledsoe added 14 points on his 23rd birthday to help the Clippers’ reserves outscore their counterparts 47-24.

Blake Griffin led the Clippers with 19 points. Chris Paul added 16 points and DeAndre Jordan had 10 rebounds. Caron Butler was the only starter to play in the fourth, coming in only after Matt Barnes was ejected with 1:36 to play…

Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan scored 24 points in his hometown. Linas Kleiza, who started in place of injured Mickael Pietrus, added 17 points, including five 3-pointers. Amir Johnson had 11 points and 12 rebounds…

Pietrus didn’t play because of left knee tendinitis that flared up after Friday’s loss in Utah. … Clippers G Chauncey Billups missed his third straight game with tendinitis in his left ankle.

— Reported by Beth Harris of the Associated Press

Clippers beat Suns 117-99 for 5th straight win

The bench bailed out the Clippers again.

Jamal Crawford led a fourth-quarter rally with 13 of his 21 points, and Los Angeles beat Phoenix 117-99 on Saturday, winning its fifth in a row while sending the Suns to their season-worst sixth straight loss.

”Thank the bench because the starters were struggling,” Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. ”They got us off to a bad start again. Our starters get into this energy on the offense and not on the defense. This game easily could have gone the other way.”

Blake Griffin added 24 points and a career-best four steals, and Chris Paul had 16 points and 11 assists, but the Clippers’ reserves carried them. Crawford made all four of his free throws to extend his streak to 55 in a row since Nov. 3…

Michael Beasley scored 21 points off the bench, and Shannon Brown added 19 for Phoenix, which hadn’t lost six in a row since March 3-12, 2009…

Luis Scola scored 10 in a row for the Suns and finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

— Reported by Beth Harris of the Associated Press

Clippers beat Mavs for 4th straight win

The starters got off to a strong start, then had a front-row seat for the show near the end of the Clippers’ fourth consecutive victory.

Blake Griffin had 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Chris Paul added 14 points and 13 assists in Los Angeles’ 112-90 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.

Jamal Crawford had 20 points, Caron Butler scored 16 and DeAndre Jordan 12 for the Clippers, who shot 50 percent and dominated the entire game, keeping excitable Dallas owner Mark Cuban glued to his seat with his chin cupped in his left hand…

Vince Carter scored 16 points off the bench. Derek Fisher added 15 points, and Shawn Marion and Chris Kaman had 14 points apiece for the Mavericks, who fell to 2-7 on the road…

The Clippers’ former front line of Elton Brand and Chris Kaman, who helped them get within a game of the 2006 Western Conference finals, combined for 28 points for the Mavs.

Los Angeles’ second unit came on in the fourth, with Crawford and Matt Barnes combining to score 21 of their 28 points in the period…

F Dirk Nowitzki is on the Mavs’ trip to LA, Phoenix and Houston, but still not close to playing games.

— Reported by Beth Harris of the Associated Press

Griffin scores 30, Clippers beat Jazz 105-104

Randy Foye knew what was coming. He had seen Chris Paul do it many times as a teammate in Los Angeles last year.

This time, going against the Clippers, Foye raced backcourt to steal the inbounds pass and put up a 3-pointer that would have won the game for the Utah Jazz.

Unlike his 3-pointer that pulled Utah within one point with 1.2 seconds remaining, this one missed its mark and was too late, allowing the Clippers to hang on for the 105-104 victory in Salt Lake City…

Blake Griffin led Los Angeles with a season-high 30 points and Jamal Crawford added 20 off the bench, including a pair of late free throws for the Clippers…

Williams led the Jazz (9-10) against his former team with 20 points and 12 assists, and Foye added 19 points. Al Jefferson had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Utah.

Paul added 14 points for Los Angeles, but scored six in the fourth on 3-of-4 shooting after the Clippers entered the quarter trailing by 10.

— Reported by Lynn DeBruin of the Associated Press

Chauncey Billups returns tonight for Clippers

Chauncey Billups returns to action for Clippers

Chauncey Billups health update: He’s back!

The Los Angeles Clippers today announced that five-time NBA All-Star guard Chauncey Billups will return to action on Wednesday, Nov. 28 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Billups appeared in 20 games for the Clippers last season before suffering a torn left Achilles tendon on Feb. 6 in Orlando.

“We are all excited to have Chauncey back,” Clippers head coach Vinny Del Negro said. “I know how hard he has worked to get to this point and we are looking forward to incorporating him into the lineup.”

In his injury shortened 2011-12 season, Billups averaged 15.0 points, 4.0 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 30.4 minutes per contest. Billups shot 36.4 percent from the field, 38.4 percent from behind the three-point line and 89.5 percent from the free throw line.

Billups averaged 16.8 points, 5.4 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 32.1 minutes in 72 games with Denver and New York during the 2010-11 season. He was traded to the Knicks on February 22, 2011 and was later claimed by the Clippers off of waivers on December 12, 2011.

The 15-year veteran point guard was an NBA All-Star in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 and named to the All-NBA Second Team in 2005-06 and the All-NBA Third Team in 2006-07 and 2008-09. Billups helped lead the Detroit Pistons to the 2003-04 NBA Championship and was selected the 2004 NBA Finals MVP for his stellar play in the series.

Originally drafted by the Boston Celtics with the third overall pick of the 1997 NBA Draft after a standout career at the University of Colorado, Billups has appeared in 1,002 career NBA games for Boston, Toronto, Denver, Minnesota, Detroit, New York and the Clippers, averaging 15.5 points, 5.5 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game.

The 6-foot-3, 210 pound Colorado native was also a member of the gold medal winning USA Team at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship.

Clippers return home after bad road trip

The Clippers returned Monday night to Staples Center after what Chris Paul described as “a terrible road trip,” one in which they hardly looked like the confident and polished team that rocketed to a 7-2 start to the season.

They were happy to be home again after losing the final three games on their four-game trip to San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Brooklyn and Atlanta. They also were a little edgy, according to coach Vinny Del Negro.

Well, he was feeling that way, anyway.

“I’m always worried,” he said before the Clippers faced the New Orleans Hornets.

After all, after a victory over the Spurs extended their winning streak to six consecutive games, the Clippers struggled to maintain their momentum. Their offense went stagnant, their defense wasn’t sound and their second unit was unproductive.

— Reported by Elliot Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News

Hawks beat Clippers for 5th straight win

Jeff Teague only gets two chances to face Chris Paul each season, so he wants to make the most of his opportunities.

It took Teague much of the first quarter to find his momentum against Paul, a fellow Wake Forest point guard. Once he did, the Atlanta Hawks were making stops on defense and scoring in transition.

Teague had 19 points and 11 assists, Zaza Pachulia added 19 points and 12 rebounds, and the Hawks won their fifth straight game with a 104-93 victory over Los Angeles on Saturday night…

Blake Griffin scored 22 points and Paul had 19 for the Clippers.

Los Angeles has lost a season-high three consecutive games after winning six in a row.

Lou Williams finished with 18 points and Josh Smith added 17 for Atlanta…

Hawks G Devin Harris missed the game with a sore big left toe.

— Reported by George Henry of the Associated Press