Rowan Kavner
LOS ANGELES – Two of Blake Griffin’s seven 3-pointers this season have moved him deeper into the Clippers’ record books.
It’s not a shot he takes often, but one of his threes Halloween night moved him into sixth place all-time in scoring in franchise history. A month and a half later, his lone 3-pointer Monday night moved him past Danny Manning for fifth place in scoring.
Griffin didn’t make much of it, apart from calling Manning a great player, saying he’s not on the team to break records. He said he was unaware after the game that he’d gone into the top five in team history, now with 7,122 points. He needed 17 points to pass Manning and got 18 on Monday, also adding seven rebounds and assists.
But even if he didn’t make much of it, his head coach thought it was notable that Griffin managed to accomplish that feat at just 25 years old.
“That says a lot,” said Doc Rivers. “It says Blake is a great player, No. 1. It’s amazing he’s fifth at 25 and he missed one year. When you think about that, that’s remarkable. It just says how great he is.”
Rivers had some fun that it might say something else when Griffin’s able to make that kind of a mark so early in his career.
“It says other stuff, too,” Rivers joked. “I’m not saying. You know what it says, that I played here.”
Three years ago to the day, the Clippers traded for Chris Paul.
With playoff appearances every year since the 2011-12 season, it’s clear what he’s meant to the team. Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan all recalled the moment they heard the news.
“We were at a team appearance and Blake and I didn’t know we were being recorded and that’s kind of how the whole Lob City thing started up,” Jordan said. “We were really excited then, still are.
“I said, ‘I think we just got Chris Paul. He said, ‘What?’ I was like, ‘Yeah.’ He’s like, ‘Oh, CP3, we’re ‘bout to get lobs!’ I was like, ‘Yeah, it’s going to be good.’ Chris has helped us so much. He’s helped our growth, both me and Blake, even our whole team, the organization. With him, we shot up to a different level.”
Griffin said the biggest thing about the trade was Paul becoming another piece in turning the Clippers into a respectable franchise.
“That was a big moment for Clippers fans, for the team, for us, for everybody, to have a guy come here that probably could have gone anywhere,” Griffin said. “I haven’t really looked back since, but I remember the excitement that it came with.”
As for Paul, the day after the trade is one he may remember more clearly.
“I got a ticket the next day I got here for driving and talking on the cell phone,” Paul said. “I didn’t know it was hands free. I told them I just got traded, and they didn’t care. I do remember that.”
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