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Clippers Get On The Run To Beat Pelicans

Rowan Kavner

Score: LAC 111 – NOP 90

Summary: As the Clippers try to figure out the cause of their early-season struggles, it’s games such as Friday’s against the Pelicans which both add to the mystery and give reason to believe better times could be ahead.

The Clippers’ (8-8) starters watched the end of the fourth quarter from the bench after looking more like the highly explosive, highly efficient group they expected to be in a 111-90 rout of the Pelicans (4-12), leading by 21 points at halftime and cruising to their largest margin of victory this season.

“I wish we looked like this every night,” said Chris Paul.

Next Game: 11/29

Tipoff: 12:30pm PDT

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After the Clippers’ latest loss to the Jazz, head coach Doc Rivers challenged his players to look at what they could do individually. DeAndre Jordan said during shootaround the day of the game he needed to defend better, rebound more, block more shots, set better picks and finish better when he gets the chance.

Nine and a half minutes into Jordan’s night, Jordan had already posted six points and eight rebounds.

The team got out in transition where they’re dangerous and doubled the Pelicans’ mark in the category (28-14), mostly because of what they were able to do defensively, holding the Pelicans to 36.2 percent shooting.

J.J. Redick said he’s still getting his rhythm back after missing three games with back spasms, but he also looked more like himself Friday, scoring 20 points and going 3-of-3 from 3-point range. Blake Griffin, the most consistent performer of the year, continued his blistering start to the season with 20 points, six rebounds and six assists. Chris Paul added 17 points, eight assists and five rebounds.

As the nucleus of returning stars each looked individually at themselves, they all answered Friday against the Pelicans.

And the reserves did what many had envisioned when the Clippers first put this cast together in the offseason, providing energy and getting out on the run. Lance Stephenson finished plus-11 and added 10 points, five rebounds and four assists off the bench. Austin Rivers scored 17 points off the bench and Jamal Crawford added nine points, moving into the top 100 players all-time in scoring in the process.

Key Moment: Midway through the second quarter, the Pelicans cut the Clippers’ double-digit lead down to five, turning it into a 36-31 game. Paul, Stephenson and Jordan responded with the game’s next six points, getting the lead back to 10. When the Pelicans cut it to six again, the Clippers then went on an 8-0 run. By the end of the quarter, the Clippers led by 19 points, and the lead would never be in question again.

Clippers Star: J.J. Redick – Redick followed his worst game of the year with one of his best. The Clippers’ shooting guard was admittedly winded in his previous matchup against Utah as he worked his way back off a three-game hiatus and was playing off a particularly tiresome back-to-back. After going 1-for-6 with three points against the Jazz, Redick responded by going 8-for-14 from the floor and 3-for-3 from deep for 20 points.

Pelicans Star: Ish Smith – The backup point guard has been solid all year, and on Friday against the Clippers had 15 points with 10 assists and four rebounds. Smith needed 20 shots to get there, but he had a couple stretches to try to put the Pelicans in striking distance.

X-Factor: Transition Game – By the end of the first quarter, the Clippers already had eight fast-break points without allowing any. By the end of the night, they doubled the Pelicans’ total in the category. It showed what the Clippers are capable of when they make stops, and role players such as Stephenson demonstrated the spark they can provide when they get on the run.

Quotes:

Doc Rivers – “I thought our defensive energy was really good. We got out in transition, and that’s something that we’ve talked about all year, but really haven’t done. We haven’t run like we can run. Tonight, we put a lot of pressure on their defense.”

Chris Paul – “Doc’s been on me and Austin a lot about pushing the ball and not walking the ball up the court. A lot of times it’s hard to do that when you’re taking the ball out the net. Tonight, we defended.”

J.J. Redick – “We are desperate. We have to not look at this as something where we can ease into things or we ease into it and we start winning. It’s got to be now. That seems to be the atmosphere in the locker room.”

NOTES: The Clippers had their 200th consecutive sellout game … Crawford passed Juwan Howard to move into the top 100 players all-time in scoring in NBA history … The Clippers have now won six straight home games against the Pelicans … The Clippers’ victory snapped New Orleans’ three-game winning streak … The Clippers play again Sunday against Minnesota in the first of a back-to-back …