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Clippers sink Lakers for 11th straight time

By Forrest Lee, The Sports Xchange
Clippers forward Blake Griffin played his best game since returning from injury and a suspension. Photo by Jon SooHoo/UPI
Clippers forward Blake Griffin played his best game since returning from injury and a suspension. Photo by Jon SooHoo/UPI | License Photo

LOS ANGELES -- They share an arena, but the distance and direction of the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers couldn't be any further apart.

The Clippers are heading to the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season, while this season's Lakers reserved a low light in the basement of the 16-time NBA champion's archives.

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DeAndre Jordan and J.J. Redick scored 15 points apiece, and the Clippers defeated the Lakers for the 11th straight time, posting a 91-81 victory Wednesday night at Staples Center.

Jordan also grabbed 11 rebounds.

Despite downing the Lakers for the second time in as many nights, Chris Paul believes there is room for improvement for the Clippers, who have practically locked up the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference playoffs.

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"We still got to get better with our execution, which we've been pretty good at, but our defense still has to be consistent," said Paul, who had 13 points and eight assists.

Clippers forward Blake Griffin had his best game since returning from injury and suspension, scoring all 13 of his points in the first half, 11 of those in the first quarter, and collecting eight rebounds.

"I just liked his pace, and he wasn't hesitating offensively," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "The first three or four shots he just grabbed and shot, and that's what we want him to do. Tonight, he just played basketball, and that's what we want him to do."

The Wednesday result came on the heels of the Clippers' 103-81 romp Tuesday.

"I just thought that we showed a little bit more fight tonight," said Lakers coach Byron Scott, who called his club soft and lacking toughness after Tuesday's loss. "Especially in the second half, we showed a little bit more fight. That is what I was looking for. I am glad that they did come ready to play a little bit more and be a lot more competitive tonight than they were last night."

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The Lakers (16-62) set a franchise mark for losses in a season, breaking last year's record. They lost their third in a row and seventh in the past eight games.

Kobe Bryant finished with 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting in his final game against the Clippers.

"It's weird to say it felt the same," Bryant said, regarding his next to last game at home. The Lakers close out the season against the Utah Jazz at Staples on April 13. "I've been trying to take it all in for a while now. You can feel kind of the energy in the crowd. There's one game left. It's kind of crazy."

Jordan Clarkson and D'Angelo Russell added 13 points apiece, and Tarik Black chipped in 11 for the Lakers.

Julius Randle grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds for the Lakers.

The Clippers controlled the game for the majority of the contest, with the lead dipping just once into single digits in the second half.

Top Clippers reserves Jamal Crawford, Wesley Johnson and Austin Rivers all got the night off for a rest. The team's starters also sat out the fourth quarter.

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"I thought we played well," said Jordan, who converted seven of nine shots. "Our defense wasn't as good as it was yesterday. Could be legs, whatever it may be, but we fought the whole game and then our defense started to pick it up late in the second half, and we were able to separate."

The Clippers coasted to a 54-42 at the half, increasing a four-point advantage after one quarter by outscoring the Lakers 25-17 in the second period. They outshot the Lakers 47.7 percent to 37 percent in the first half.

For the game, the Clippers made 44.6 percent of their shots to 35.6 for the Lakers.

The Lakers barely missed recording a season low for assists, finishing with 12 compared to 23 for the Clippers.

The Clippers got a scare late in the third quarter when Jeff Green went down after apparently bumping knees with Black.

NOTES: Clippers F Blake Griffin won't make the trip to Utah, where the club played the Jazz on Friday. Coach Doc Rivers believed the Clippers' star could use a rest. Before Wednesday game, Rivers said more playing time would help Griffin overcome his struggles. Griffin had been largely ineffective in the previous two games prior to having his best outing against the Lakers. "You know what Blake has to do, so we can simplify this? He just needs to play basketball," Rivers said, when asked about possible playoff rotations using Griffin. "He's missed three months of basketball. The last thing you want to do is try to figure out what lineup he needs to play with right now." Griffin managed four points on 1-of-5 shooting, three assists and three rebounds in 17 minutes in Tuesday's rout of the Lakers. He also had four turnovers. ... The Lakers begin a three-game road trip at the New Orleans Pelicans.

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