Paul and Griffin lead Clippers over Spurs 92-87

Chris Paul

The San Antonio Spurs had rallied within a basket of the Los Angeles Clippers with less than 30 seconds remaining and the crowd was buzzing.

Some would call it a tense situation. Chris Paul calls it ”winning time.”

Paul had 19 points and eight assists and the Clippers beat San Antonio 92-87 on Monday night for their second win against the Spurs this season.

Paul’s 10-foot jumper in the lane with 24.6 seconds left gave the Clippers a 91-87 lead…

Spurs guard Gary Neal missed a 3-point attempt on the subsequent possession, which Eric Bledsoe gathered for his fifth rebound. Bledsoe, who had nine points, made one of two free throws for the final margin.

Matt Barnes added 14 points, DeAndre Jordan 13 and Blake Griffin had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers (8-2).

Tim Duncan had 20 points and 14 rebounds for the Spurs (8-3), who suffered their second home loss this season. Manu Ginobili added 15 points and Tony Parker 11…

San Antonio needed the late rally after losing a lead and Stephen Jackson after the first quarter. Jackson, who suffered a non-displaced fracture to his right pinkie finger late in the first quarter, is expected to miss four to six weeks.

— Reported by Raul Dominguez of the Associated Press

Griffin, Crawford lead Clippers over Bulls

Griffin, Crawford lead Clippers over Bulls

The Chicago Bulls had a difficult time running with the Los Angeles Clippers, who had plenty left in reserve for the fourth quarter – particularly Blake Griffin.

Griffin scored 12 of his 26 points in the final six minutes and grabbed 10 rebounds, helping the Clippers rout the Bulls 101-80 on Saturday night for their fifth straight victory.

”It’s just about getting the ball in the right spot and doing what we work on,” said Griffin, who was 11 for 18 from the field. ”I missed a lot of them, but my teammates gave me the confidence to keep shooting. Thankfully, some of them dropped.”

Reserve Jamal Crawford scored 17 of his 22 points in the second quarter for the Clippers, who lead the Pacific Division with a 7-2 mark. It’s their best record after nine games since 2005-06, when they won nine of their first 11, finished 47-35 and came within one victory of the Western Conference finals.

Five of the Clippers’ six wins have come against teams that were in the playoffs last season, including the Lakers, Spurs and world champion Miami Heat on Wednesday. Both of their losses came against clubs which failed to make the postseason – Golden State and Cleveland.

— Reported by Joe Resnick of the Associated Press

Chris Paul now part-owner of PBA bowling team

Chris Paul now part-owner of PBA bowling team

Chris Paul has yet to make a long-term commitment to the Los Angeles Clippers, but on Thursday he became the owner of a new Los Angeles professional sports team.

Paul, along with former Los Angeles Rams running back Jerome Bettis, Terrell Owens and Kevin Hart, became the first celebrity owners in the inaugural season of the Professional Bowlers Association’s PBA League.

The PBA League will feature eight teams of five PBA players each and make its debut in January. ESPN will televise five weeks of PBA League competition beginning Jan. 27, plus the PBA League Elias Cup finals in April.

— Reported by Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles

Clippers build big lead, beat Blazers 103-90

jamal crawford

Jamal Crawford scored 25 points and the Los Angeles Clippers held off the Portland Trail Blazers for a 103-90 victory on Thursday night.

De’Andre Jordan and Chris Paul had 21 points apiece for the Clippers, who led by 25 in the first half. Los Angeles improved to 4-2 in its first game away from Staples Center.

Nicolas Batum had 23 points and nine rebounds for the Blazers, who mounted a second-half challenge but ultimately couldn’t catch up.

Rookie Damian Lillard’s pull-up jumper and Batum’s 3-pointer helped Portland trim Los Angeles’ lead to 75-69 late in the third quarter. Batum’s driving layup at the buzzer made it 77-71 heading to the final period…

Clippers star Blake Griffin had 10 rebounds and seven points while playing with a sleeve covering his right arm for the third straight game because of fluid in his elbow…

Portland’s reserves, averaging an NBA-low 12.8 points per game, had just eight points in the first half. Their counterparts with the Clippers scored 25.

— Reported by Anne M. Peterson of the Associated Press

Chauncey Billups hopes to play for Clippers by early December

Chauncey Billups hopes to play for Clippers by early December

Los Angeles Clippers guard Chauncey Billups anticipates he will still be out a month and doesn’t think he will be back on the court in November.

“Barring any setbacks, I’m hoping in a month I’ll be back out there,” Billups said while on ESPN’s NBA Countdown on Wednesday. “I’m back practicing with the team so everything is looking good.”

If everything goes according to plan, Billups will make his return to the starting lineup sometime in early December before the Clippers go on a four-game road trip on Dec. 11.

— Reported by Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles

Blake Griffin playing through elbow injury

Blake Griffin playing through elbow injury

Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin reportedly has a ruptured bursa sac in his right elbow, but the ailment won’t keep him out of action.

According to the Orange County Register, Griffin said the problem has occurred in the past, but “never this bad.”

Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro told ESPNLosAngeles.com that Griffin also is battling through a neck strain. The website reported that Griffin participated in only half of Tuesday’s practice in advance of Wednesday’s home game against the San Antonio Spurs.

— Reported by the Sports Xchange

Cavs step up and beat Clippers

Cavs step up and beat Clippers

Last season, the Cleveland Cavaliers were apt to follow up a tough loss with another defeat. Things are slowly changing.

Rookie Dion Waiters hit seven 3-pointers in scoring 28 points and Kyrie Irving added 24 points in a 108-101 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night that snapped a two-game skid two nights after losing by three to Milwaukee.

Some of the biggest shots were hit by Waiters, whose points and 3-pointers set career highs in his fourth NBA game…

Tyler Zeller added 15 points and Anderson Varejao had 15 points and 15 rebounds for the Cavs, who took the lead for good late in the first quarter.

Blake Griffin scored 20 points, Jamal Crawford added 19 and Chris Paul had 17 for the Clippers, who lost their second straight after opening the season with two wins. Their 25 turnovers led to 21 points for the Cavs.

— Reported by Beth Harris of the Associated Press

Kenyon Martin has no NBA contract offers

Kenyon Martin has no NBA contract offers

The NBA season is nearly a week old, and Kenyon Martin doesn’t know why he still can’t find a job in the league. He helped the Los Angeles Clippers during their playoff run last season. His knee issues of the past no longer seem to trouble him. And he’s even willing to take a contract for the league minimum.

So why hasn’t any team called wanting to sign him?

“There is a notion about me that is not accurate at all – I don’t know who started it or where it came from – that people can’t control me,” Martin told Yahoo! Sports. “I don’t understand. Have I had my issues like a lot of other people? Yeah. But I’m getting back that people think they can’t control me, that if I don’t play I’m going to explode, or I can turn a locker room.

“In 12 years there was not one day where I told one guy to dislike anybody. If you ask guys who I’ve played with that know me, they know what it is and know I’m about winning basketball games and competing.”

— Reported by Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports