Rowan Kavner
Score: LAC 105 – DET 103
DETROIT – Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy called Blake Griffin the best passing big in the game before his matchup Monday night against the Clippers.
When it mattered most that night, the Clippers’ forward demonstrated why that’s fair praise.
Griffin found J.J. Redick for the game-tying 3-pointer to force overtime, and when the Pistons (14-12) doubled Griffin in a tie game with fewer than 30 seconds remaining, Griffin recorded his seventh assist of the night finding a wide open Jamal Crawford for the go-ahead 3-pointer in a 105-103 win for the Clippers (15-10).
“He’s a unique player,” Redick said. “I don’t know that there’s many fours that have his skillset, and it seems like he just keeps adding to that skillset. But he’s a phenomenal passer and a phenomenal decision-maker.”
Doc Rivers said the road trip could go from good to great with a win in Detroit. It became great, as Redick, Griffin and Crawford ensured the Clippers would go home 4-1 on the trip, even if it didn’t seem likely throughout most of the fourth quarter.
Next Game: 12/16
Tipoff: 7:30pm PDT
The Clippers led by 13 points in the third quarter and took a 10-point lead into the fourth when disaster struck, as the Pistons began the quarter on a 14-2 run to take their first lead of the game. They’d hold onto the lead the rest of the quarter until 19 seconds remained, when Redick forced overtime with his third 3-pointer of the night.
Before the long-range connection, Redick fouled Andre Drummond during the second of two free throws from Jamal Crawford, which brought the Clippers within two points and sent Drummond to the line at the other end. Drummond hit 1-of-2, setting up the scene for Redick’s game-tying 3-pointer, and Reggie Jackson couldn’t answer before regulation ended.
“It was a play for me to get a 3 or Blake to get a layup,” Redick said. “Drummond kind of came over, and I saw Blake look to the corner. I wasn’t there yet. He kind of trusted that I would get there. I got there in time. When I first caught the ball, I wasn’t at the 3-point line. So I had to take a side-step dribble.”
Redick finished with 24 points, and the Clippers improved to 5-0 when he scores at least 20 points this season.
The Clippers were in complete control until the start of the fourth, which was a major struggle for the backups, who were all on the wrong side of the plus-minus for the game. The Clippers couldn’t find their stroke, and the defense, which had held the Pistons to just 12 points in the second quarter to take control of the game, started to slip.
Detroit shot 35.9 percent in the first half, at which point Jackson was 4-for-5 from the floor and the rest of the Pistons’ starters were only 5-for-23.
The Clippers didn’t give up any ground in the third quarter, outscoring the Pistons by a point. Detroit came out quickly to start the second half, getting the lead down to seven, but a quick 6-0 run from the Clippers put them in a comfortable spot. The Pistons wouldn’t get within eight points of tying the Clippers the rest of the third quarter.
But then came the fourth, as a group of five reserves watched a double-digit lead dwindle to three in fewer than three minutes. At that point, Rivers put Griffin back in the game with the backups to limit the damage, but the momentum was strictly with Detroit, and a couple minutes later the Pistons had the lead.
They’d keep it until Redick’s game-tying 3-pointer with 19 seconds left, setting the scene for overtime, where the Clippers battled back once again after falling behind in the final minute. Griffin finished with a team-high 34 points.
Key Moment:
Clippers Star: Blake Griffin – This could go to Redick for his game-tying 3-pointer in regulation or to Crawford for his go-ahead 3. But it was Griffin who found both players on the shots. Griffin scored or assisted every point for the Clippers in overtime, and his late decision-making played a major role in the victory.
Pistons Star: Reggie Jackson – The Pistons point guard was tough to stop, particularly from the line. He finished with 34 points, going 14-for-16 from the free-throw line. He was also 2-for-2 from 3-point range.
X-Factor: Clippers’ shooting guards – Redick’s 24 points were second only to Griffin’s 34 on the Clippers, who are 31-4 since Redick has joined the team when he’s scored at least 20 points. Redick got to 21 on his game-tying 3-pointer, and Crawford led all bench scorers with 14 points, none more important than the three to go ahead for the win.
Quotes:
J.J. Redick – “I thought both our coaching staff and the guys on the floor made a lot of cerebral calls and a lot of cerebral plays down the stretch. First of all, it’s resolve. Secondly, it was just really, really strong execution. It was very promising. It was a very promising win.”
Jamal Crawford – “I think a win like this can go a long ways. It makes the flight better, you get home. We handled adversity again. I think we were down three with a minute to go in Minnesota, this game, we’re down 86-81, a minute and a half, two minutes (left), and we found a way to win.”
Chris Paul – “We’ve been going through our struggles and different things like that, so to be down like we were and to fight back like that and to make the heads-up, cerebral plays that we made was big for us.”
NOTES: The Clippers forced 19 turnovers in the win … The Clippers led by as many as 13, while the Pistons built their biggest lead of the game in the fourth quarter by six … Former Clippers Grant Hill, Willie Green and Dahntay Jones were all in attendance and greeted the players …Both teams finished 6-for-19 from 3-point range … Chris Paul had 13 points and 12 assists but was playing with five fouls late … The Clippers used Austin Rivers for defense late, and Rivers came up with the stop at the end of regulation on Jackson which Doc Rivers said saved the game … The Clippers now travel home to face the Bucks on Wednesday...