Clippers-Thunder Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLO
Posted Nov 21 2012 6:39PM

A big reason for the Los Angeles Clippers' strong start has been their ability to beat some of the NBA's other top teams.

The visiting Clippers will need to pass another major test when they try to win seven in a row for the first time in 21 years Wednesday night against the surging Oklahoma City Thunder.

Los Angeles (8-2) opened the season with victories over Western Conference co-leader Memphis and the rival Lakers. After dropping consecutive home games to Golden State and Cleveland, the Clippers have beaten Miami once and San Antonio twice during their current run.

Chris Paul had 19 points and hit a 10-foot jumper with 24.6 seconds left to help Los Angeles beat the Spurs 92-87 on Monday in the opener of a challenging four-game trip that includes stops in Brooklyn and Atlanta. The Clippers are 3-0 away from home.

"It's a good win, a good road win, but at the same time the season is still very young and we've still got a lot of road games left to play," forward Blake Griffin told the Clippers' official website.

In position to win seven straight for the first time since an eight-game run Nov. 30-Dec. 15, 1991, the Clippers share the West lead because of some strong overall play. Los Angeles leads the conference in shooting at 49.2 percent and is second in scoring with 101.5 points per game. It's tied for second in the West giving up an average of 92.6 points but believes it can play better defensively.

"We know we're a handful on the offensive end," reserve forward Matt Barnes said. "If we can start controlling the defensive end, that's when we're really going to start winning games and making an imprint in this league. We have the talent to do it. We have the athleticism to do it. It's just the heart and hunger to do it."

Oklahoma City averaged 87.5 points and shot 39.2 percent while dropping the final two meetings with Los Angeles last season.

The Thunder (8-3), who lost three of four to the Clippers in 2011-12, enter this contest winners of two straight and seven of eight. Oklahoma City has averaged 104.3 points and shot 49.4 percent over those eight contests.

Kevin Durant posted his first career triple-double with 25 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists while Russell Westbrook scored 30 and Kevin Martin added 23 off the bench in Sunday's 119-109 win over Golden State.

Durant's scoring average is down from last season's 28.0 to 24.5, but he's averaging career highs of 10.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists. He's averaged 28.7 points, 10.7 boards and 6.7 assists in the last three games.

"There's going to be nights where I have to score 30. There's going to be nights where I have to have seven or eight assists," Durant said. "So, I'm just trying to be an all-around player and just continue to help my team win."

Griffin has averaged 20.7 points in the last three games but has been held to 23 on 9-of-26 shooting (34.6 percent) in the last two at Oklahoma City.

The Clippers won't have starting forward Caron Butler available due to a strained right shoulder. Butler is averaging 9.4 points and has made 14 of 28 3-point attempts.

Thunder edge Clippers 117-111 in overtime

By JEFF LATZKE
Posted Nov 21 2012 11:52PM

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Kendrick Perkins challenged his Oklahoma City Thunder teammates before a showdown of division leaders with the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.

The Thunder had lost their first two games this season against other top teams in the Western Conference, and Perkins wanted that trend to stop immediately.

It wasn't easy, but Oklahoma City got the job done.

Kevin Durant scored 35 points, Russell Westbrook added 23 and Oklahoma City's All-Star tandem scored all of the Thunder's points in overtime in a 117-111 victory over the Clippers.

"It felt good to finally get one of those wins, and we can move on now," Durant said.

Westbrook connected on a 3-pointer from the left wing to open the scoring in overtime, and Durant rattled one in from about the same spot two possessions later for a 108-104 advantage.

Westbrook then answered DeAndre Jordan's three-point play with a baseline jumper, and Oklahoma City was able to close it out from the foul line.

"This is a good win for us, especially against a team like that, that had some success lately," said Thabo Sefolosha, who hounded Clippers All-Star Chris Paul much of the game.

Blake Griffin led Los Angeles with 23 points and Jamal Crawford scored 20 for the Clippers, who had a six-game winning streak snapped after entering the game tied for the best record in the West.

After trailing for the previous 44 minutes, the Clippers finally pulled even at 102 when Matt Barnes drove for a layup with 36 seconds left in regulation. Griffin denied Durant the ball on the Thunder's ensuing possession, and Westbrook came up empty on a drive to the basket.

Paul then dribbled out the rest of the clock before missing a turnaround jumper from the left elbow as the horn sounded.

"I think the frustrating part is we had an opportunity to win and, regardless of what anybody says, it's going to be hard for us to win a game when I play that bad," said Paul, who missed 12 of 14 shots and ended up with nine points and nine assists.

"It's tough because you work so hard but there's going to be nights like that."

Los Angeles had been tied with Memphis for the West's best record at the start of the day but dropped behind Oklahoma City and San Antonio with the loss. The Clippers were trying to win at least seven games in a row for only the sixth time in franchise history, and the first time since 1991.

"We fought the whole game and Chris got a great look. We're going to live and die on that shot," Jordan said. "We fought but we definitely made some mistakes tonight. They made more plays than we did down the stretch."

Matt Barnes scored 19 points while replacing starting forward Caron Butler in the Clippers' lineup. Butler missed the game with a strained right shoulder sustained Monday night in a win at San Antonio.

Kevin Martin scored 20 points and Serge Ibaka chipped in 15 points and 12 rebounds for Oklahoma City before fouling out in overtime. Hasheem Thabeet also matched his career high with 10 points off the bench.

The Clippers won three out of four against Oklahoma City in a sometimes testy series last season that included Griffin's memorable throwdown over Perkins in a Clippers win and Perkins' retaliation with a hard foul to Griffin's face as Oklahoma City won the rematch.

Barnes had a couple scuffles with Ibaka and Perkins but nothing quite as noteworthy.

The Clippers ended up with a 54-38 edge scoring in the paint and a 28-10 advantage in second-chance points. Oklahoma City made up for it by making 34 of 39 free throws, while L.A. was 24 for 33.

Durant was 19 for 21 at the line, with coach Vinny Del Negro telling official Kevin Fehr after one call: "He doesn't need any help scoring."

"Those guys are physical and (I was) just trying to fight through it. Just trying to get there, man," Durant said. "I think early on, me driving and me getting into the paint, I was a little hesitant in the second half because I was turning the ball over.

"But I just tried to keep going. My teammates told me to just keep being aggressive, and that's what I tried to do."

The Thunder pushed ahead with a string of eight straight made baskets in the first quarter, and the lead stretched to 26-16 after Westbrook's extra effort turned a potential turnover into a three-point play for Thabeet.

The Clippers finally got back within striking distance early in the fourth, with Thunder coach Scott Brooks yelling to Durant to get off the bench with Los Angeles back within 78-75.

With Durant back in, Oklahoma City responded with the next six points to stabilize momentarily before the Clippers' final charge.

Notes: Los Angeles has held eight straight opponents below 46 percent shooting. The Thunder were just shy at 45.6 percent. ... Crawford made all four of his free throws, stretching his streak of consecutive makes to 29. He made 37 in a row in April. ... Jordan, one of the NBA's worst foul shooters at 42 percent, got Oklahoma City to stop hacking him intentionally in the fourth quarter by making three of four.

Notebook: Thunder 117, Clippers 111 (OT)

Randy Renner, for NBA.com
Posted Thu Nov 22, 2012 12:05 AM - Updated Thu Nov 22, 2012 12:05 AM

THE FACTS: In about as intense of a regular-season game as you'll find, the Oklahoma City Thunder (9-3) got a 35-point effort from Kevin Durant and outlasted the Los Angeles Clippers (8-3) in overtime, 117-111, in a Western Conference showdown.

Durant had 17 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter and overtime and he was 19-for-21 at the free throw line. He also pulled down six rebounds, handed out five assists and had five steals. Point guard Russell Westbrook had 23 points and nine assists and sixth man Kevin Martin struck for 20 on 6-for-10 shooting (3-for-5 on 3-pointers).

The Clippers had a big night from forward Matt Barnes who started the game in place of Caron Butler who was on the bench in street clothes with a strained shoulder. Barnes finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and four steals. Barnes also got into several shouting matches with both Serge Ibaka (15 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks) and Kendrick Perkins.

It was a loud, raucous playoff atmosphere inside Chesapeake Energy Arena where even Oklahoma favorite son (but now Clipper foe) Blake Griffin was loudly booed at times, after being cheered during player introductions. He led the Clippers with 23 points on 9-for-16 shooting. LA's sixth man Jamal Crawford came off the bench to score 20 points.

Clippers point guard Chris Paul, a main focus of the Thunder defense, managed nine points on just 2-for-14 shooting.

QUOTABLE: "Give the Thunder a little credit but we have to do a better job of helping Chris Paul out. We need to open up the floor as much as we can. I was proud of our guys though, we could have folded easily but we kept fighting." -- Clippers head coach Vinny Del Negro

QUOTABLE II: "It was like a playoff game in November. Everybody laid it all on the line tonight. We did a really good job defensively and that's not an easy thing to do against them." -- Thunder head coach Scott Brooks

THE STAT: In the overtime Durant (nine points) and Westbrook (six points) were the only Thunder players who scored. Each of them hit huge 3-pointers. OKC was 7-for-8 at the free throw line and the Clippers took and made just one shot from the stripe in the final five minutes.

TURNING POINT: The game turned late a couple times, once for the Clippers late in regulation when they went on a 7-2 run to tie the game at 102 and then for OKC in the overtime period. Oklahoma City led 100-95 after a Durant finger roll. He was fouled on the play but missed the free shot. The Clippers then used a 3-pointer from Barnes, two free throws from Paul and another Barnes bucket to tie the game. The Thunder then took control in the overtime with defense and a couple of key three-balls from Westbrook and then Durant.

QUOTABLE III: "Regardless of what anyone says it's gonna be tough for us to win a game when I play that bad. It's tough because you work so hard but there's just gonna be nights like that." -- Paul

HOT: The Thunder started hot (70 percent) hitting seven of their first 10 shots...OKC was 23-for-26 (88.5 percent) on free throws through the first three quarters...OKC was 34-for-39 (87.2 percent) at the line.

NOT: The Clippers got off to a slow start trying to fight through an active Thunder defense shooting just 33.3 percent (5-for-15) in the first seven minutes of the game. They finished at 43.0 percent...Durant was 4-for-12 (1-for-4 on 3-pointers) through three quarters.

INSIDE THE ARENA: The most energy shown by the crowd in any game so far this season. Clearly the fans realized what a big game this was. It was also the 75th consecutive sellout inside Chesapeake Energy Arena.

GOOD MOVE: Thunder head coach Brooks said before the game he planned to show Paul a lot of different defensive looks. In the first half Westbrook, Sefolosha, Martin, Durant and even center Perkins all took turns on CP3 and it worked. Paul was 1-for-12 (seven points) in regulation.

GOOD MOVE TOO: Halfway through the third quarter a pass intended for Sefolosha was tipped out of bounds by a Clipper and right into the forehead of an elderly woman sitting courtside. Sefolosha went over to her to make sure she was okay and the Durant walked over, leaned down and gave her a kiss.

NOTABLE: Thunder backup center Hasheem Thabeet tied his career high in points (10) for the second time this season.

UP NEXT: For the Clippers, Friday @ Brooklyn, Saturday @ Atlanta, Monday vs. New Orleans. For the Thunder, Friday @ Boston, Saturday @ Philadelphia, Monday @ Charlotte.

• Clippers: Billups, Hill, Thompkins
• Thunder: Orton

• Clippers: --
• Thunder: Westbrook

• Lead Changes: 5
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK
• Officials: #19 James Capers, #7 Kevin Fehr, #45 Brian Forte
• Attendance: 18203
• Duration: 2:51