Rowan Kavner
PLAYA VISTA, Calif. – The Clippers won three of their four games in a week that included buzzer-beaters, lobs, jams, and even an alley-oop 3-pointer.
Take a look back at the top plays of the week from last week’s action against the Nuggets, Jazz, Pelicans and Timberwolves.
Honorable Mention) Smith fake-out
Josh Smith pulls out the nifty move with the pump fake on Gorgui Dieng, who goes up in the air expecting Smith to go up with the lay-up. That gives Smith all the space he needs to turn around and finish with the hook.
5) Crawford from half court
Jamal Crawford believes every shot he takes has a chance to go down. That’s the case on a lay-up or from half court. This shot was the latter, and it went straight through at the buzzer.
4) Griffin on the move
Few power forwards are in Blake Griffin’s ballpark as a ball-handler in the open court. Griffin takes this one coast-to-coast, goes through the legs with one hand, gets his defender off balance and gives himself a wide open lane for the transition dunk.
3) Griffin over Bjelica
The look on Nemanja Bjelica’s face pretty much says it all, as Griffin towers over him for the powerful dunk.
2) Paul leaves Gobert behind
By now, you’ve probably seen the play. Chris Paul gets a matchup he wants to take advantage of, and he leaves Rudy Gobert behind as he pulls back on the drive and hits the jumper.
1) Alley-oop 3-pointer
Griffin delivered one of the stranger 3-point shots you’ll see not long before Crawford’s half-court shot. With the clock winding down, Wesley Johnson dished to Griffin at the top of the key. Griffin both caught the pass and put up the shot in mid-air, demonstrating his upper-body strength as it went through. All he could do was grin, and the shot seemed to loosen everyone up.