Jamal Crawford roster

Celeste Mendez

Los Angeles - While Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas is enjoying a career season and finds himself in the midst of a competitive race for NBA Most Valuable Player, one award he knows he has no chance to take is ‘King of Seattle Hoops.’ While it may seem the two-time All-Star and Seattle native has a legitimate claim for the throne, Thomas acknowledges Jamal Crawford is still the most idolized player in the Pacific Northwest.

“Everybody wants to be like Jamal Crawford when they grow up,” said Thomas recently on the Bill Simmons Podcast.

Monday night, Crawford displayed why, scoring 17 second half points, kindling a Clippers (38-25) rally over Thomas and the Celtics (40-24).

In the third quarter the Celtics lead had swelled to 13 points, and Crawford had yet to make a field goal. A sullen STAPLES Center audience was on edge, waiting for a spark of a comeback.

Like he has countless times in his career, Crawford ignited the Clipper offense, scoring nine points in 70 seconds to give the Clippers the lead.

“I could see it in his eyes, he had the confidence,” Celtics guard and Seattle native Avery Bradley said. “I could see it in his bounce, when he had the ball in his hands, it’s hard to stop somebody with that much confidence that can score the ball like that.”

In the Clippers’ previous game against the Bulls, Crawford scored a team-high 25-points, and against the Celtics, Crawford captained the comeback once again, leading a 44-13 run from the late third quarter deep into the fourth.

Crawford’s recent scoring outbursts have come at the perfect time , helping the Clippers end a slump that saw them lose four of their first five games after the All-Star break, when averaged 5.5 points and shot 25 percent (5-of-20) from the field from Feb. 24 – March 3.

Against the Celtics, Crawford co-led the team in assists with five, with DeAndre Jordan being the beneficiary of a few slick passes during the late game run. Jordan struggled offensively in the first half, making 2- of-12 free throws, as the Celtics intentionally fouled the 49-percent free throw shooter to build their lead. In the fourth quarter after Crawford and the Clippers established a four-point lead, Jordan subbed back in as the only starter on the court with the bench unit and played to his strengths, dominating the paint offensively and defensively to produce his 27th double-double of the season with 15 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks.

“When [Crawford] gets hot like that, and he starts to look for other guys, and he is patient with those shots and lets those shots come to him, it’s tough to guard,” said Blake Griffin. Thomas scored a game-high 32 points, but as the Playoffs loom and the Celtics battle for seeding in the Eastern Conference, he was not happy following the loss.

“The way we lost tonight was unacceptable,” said Thomas. “It’s the player’s fault, the coach’s fault, everyone in this locker room’s fault.”

Once the game appeared in check for the Clippers, “Paul Pierce” chants burst sporadically in the stadium, as fans pined for one last look at Pierce playing his former club. Pierce has not played since Feb. 5 in Boston, where he started, kissed the Celtics logo at center court, played five minutes and hit a picturesque three to end the game, which Doc Rivers described as “perfect.”

As hard as the fans the fans tried, Rivers did not oblige, keeping Pierce on the bench.

“I was trying to win,” Rivers said. “Paul understands. How many tributes do you get?”

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CRAWFORD COMES THROUGH FOR CLIPPERS IN THIS BATTLE FOR SEATTLE

(Editor’s Note: Questions may be edited for grammar, brevity or clarity.)

LOS ANGELES – Jamal Crawford continued moving up the all-time ranks this week, jumping to No. 3 in bench scoring in NBA history during the Clippers’ win in Phoenix.

This week, Crawford took some time to answer questions from fans, submitted to Clippers.com using “#LACmailbag” on Facebook and Twitter. Fans can submit both on and off court questions. Here’s what he had to say.

Kevin Vischer – How difficult is it to come off the bench and immediately get hot?

JC: “Very difficult. I had to trick myself. It’s a lot easier starting, to be honest with you. When you’re starting, you’re playing 35 minutes, you can start out 1-for-5 and end up 9-for-18, you can shoot yourself in a rhythm. I’ve done both, and it’s a lot easier starting. You come off the bench, you have to have an immediate impact and everyone in the gym knows what you’re coming in for. It’s a little bit more difficult.”

Wyatt Smith – What kind of workouts do you do to get your handles so smooth?

JC: “I just keep the ball with me. Wherever I go, I have a basketball with me. I used to dribble a basketball down the street to the movie theater, to the mall. Now, I don’t go that far with it, but I have it in the car always ready to go. You should always keep the ball with you, let your imagination run wild, always be more instinctive than robotic.”

João Soares(@JSoares06) - Are you confident this team is capable of reaching the conference finals and potentially the NBA Finals? #LACMailbag

JC: “I’m very confident in this team. I think the leadership that we have, obviously with Doc (Rivers) and everybody, and this being one of the deepest teams in the league, I think that’ll play to our advantage. Obviously there are things we’ve got to work out, we’ve got to be healthy, go through the ups and downs and ebbs and flows of the season, but I’m confident in us.”

Celine (@creepscth) – Which teammate do you have the best handshake with? #LACMailbag

JC: “I would say me and Double-A (Alan Anderson), just because he made it up and it’s the longest. He made up ours. DJ (DeAndre Jordan) and Blake (Griffin) made up ours, too, but ours is kind of quick and to the point. That one is long. That one’s got to be the best.”

Jake Ashkinos (@jakeashkinos) – What team do you look forward to playing against the most?

JC: “I would say the Spurs. They’ve just been the golden standard for 15-20 years, so I look forward to playing them.”

Loretos Rubai (@Sarijus) – Why don’t you have an Instagram account?

JC: “To be honest, I’m not into brands and stuff. It took me forever to get Twitter. I was one of the last ones on. I’m going to expand on that... I’m not really into brands. I think my brand is just being authentic and being me. Everybody goes right, I go left. It took long enough to get Twitter, and that was it.”

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Mailbag 02/02: Crawford Answers Fan Questions

ATLANTA – Jamal Crawford found out Monday night what a chat with a Hall of Famer can do for a player’s confidence.

Before Crawford – mired in a 15-for-71 slump his previous seven games – took the court against the Hawks, he glided past head coach Doc Rivers during his pregame media availability.

“Let’s change up that narrative tonight,” Crawford said assertively as he passed the media throng, right as his recent struggles got brought up.

Crawford had just spoken with Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins, something he often does when he plays in Atlanta. But this time was different. The NBA’s No. 13 all-time scorer sought Crawford out, because he had something on his mind.

The two former Hawks spoke for almost 20 minutes before the game. Wilkins told him to get out of his head and stay in his normal routine.

For weeks, Crawford was doing the opposite.

He overanalyzed everything, putting in extra work at the gym, getting up extra shots every day. After a 1-for-9 night against the Lakers on a Saturday afternoon, Crawford went back to the gym later that night to shoot more.

“Every shooter goes through it,” Crawford said. “It’s frustrating, and it was OK at the same time because we were winning.”

Still, even in those wins, Crawford knew he wasn’t himself. The game before the victory against the Lakers, he took five shots. The game after, he did the same, this time in a rare scoreless performance.

Then, a two-game losing streak followed, magnifying what had already been a mounting struggle for Crawford.

Every game, he knew how many shots he took, and he’d go back and watch each shot. It was an abnormal practice for a player who’s never paid much attention to shooting percentages.

When he’s in a groove, he’s not thinking.

“Everything’s instinctive,” Crawford said. “Any dribble move, if I would have concentrated on it, I may have lost it. But since I’m not thinking about it, it’s like the ball just takes over. It’s just flowing.”

Recently, there had been no flow. There had been no swagger. “J-Crossover” stopped dribbling, often electing to set up teammates instead. The 1-on-1 moves ceased. He’d aim close-range shots, and they’d rattle out.

“Most of them are good shots, shots I’ve made my whole life,” Crawford said. “You try to play perfect, you play passive. Anybody who’s seen me play, that’s the last thing they’d say.”

As he tried to work his way out of it … 1-for-9… 0-for-5… 3-for-14… Crawford’s teammates had his back.

DeAndre Jordan said he didn’t feel for Crawford, though.

“Scorers go through slumps, and if I feel sorry for him, he’s going to feel sorry for himself,” Jordan said. “Jamal, he knows how to score the basketball. He’s just in a little funk right now. When he gets out of it, I feel sorry for whoever’s guarding him.”

As his teammates waited for that moment, Crawford’s head coach tried to actively make it happen. Rivers made Crawford the point guard late Saturday night, just so Crawford would have the ball in his hands.

Still, a 3-for-13 night followed. Crawford would make a shot, and it would seem – maybe – it would start the slump-buster.

“We’re thinking, ‘Good,’” Rivers said. “Then, he followed it up by missing a couple. It’s in his head, but it’ll get out.”

To get it out, Crawford had a new plan, the same one Wilkins suggested. It was the opposite school of thought. Rather than shoot more and scrutinize, he stepped back and reset.

Sunday, there were no more extra shots in the gym.

“Sometimes, you change your routines,” Rivers said before Monday’s matchup. “It’s amazing, one goes in and all of a sudden you remember you’ve scored 20,000 points. That’s what it’ll be for him. He needs a couple to go in and get his rhythm going.”

That night, a different aura surrounded Crawford.

The league’s No. 78 all-time scorer and No. 7 all-time 3-point shooter, who’d spend most of January tentative and unsure, confidently made his way around the arena. Rivers saw Crawford talking to Wilkins, and he figured, if nothing else, Crawford would get his shots up Monday night.

He started 0-for-3, but the attempts were more in rhythm. On his first shot, he took the defender off the dribble and got to the rim with contact, as the shot just rimmed out.

By halftime, Crawford was 2-for-8 with five points - not where he wanted to be, but with more signs of life.

In the third quarter, he quieted a 23-8 Hawks run with a bucket. As Austin Rivers carried the offense, finishing with a game-high 27 points, Crawford was slowly hitting his crescendo. His 11 points through three quarters were more than he had in any of his previous seven games.

“I just felt different,” Crawford said. “I’ve talked to a lot of people, but the Dominique talk really hit home. He’s one of the best players and scorers to ever play. He’s like, ‘I’ve been through so many slumps. When you start thinking about it, you’ve already stopped yourself.’ Let it go.”

But the game Doc Rivers was waiting for, the one where one basket would lead to another and another, hadn’t yet arrived – not until the fourth quarter.

With the Hawks cutting the Clippers’ lead to six, the closest they’d been all half, Crawford drilled a pull-up 18-footer. When Atlanta answered at the other end, Crawford returned the favor, pulling up for a 17-footer.

“You could hear them in the fourth quarter – Austin and Jamal just kept saying over and over, ‘We’re not going to lose this game,’” Doc Rivers said. “They just kept saying it. Sometimes, you start believing.”

The Clippers’ next possession was a Crawford layup, and the next another pull-up jumper, with Crawford hitting the shot and absorbing the foul. Back-to-back-to-back-to-back possessions with Crawford points ensured the Hawks wouldn’t get within five points the rest of the night.

“We won, and he’s back,” Austin Rivers said. “Walking around right now, his confidence is Jamal-like.”

It may have only been one game, but Crawford couldn’t hide the excitement. He feels like he’s himself again, and he did what he set out to do before the night started.

“I said we were going to change the narrative,” Crawford said.

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Crawford “Changes The Narrative,” Busting Out Of Slump

This weekly series from Clippers.com features a Q&amp;A with Clippers players, coaches, alumni or those tied somehow to the Clippers’ organization. The next edition features guard Jamal Crawford.

LOS ANGELES – Jamal Crawford has at least 22 points in each of his last three games, as the Clippers continue to try to piece things together without a handful of crucial starters.

Crawford talked after Monday’s game about the minimal margin for error without Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and J.J. Redick and the balance between distributing and attacking without key players as the Clippers now try to climb out of a three-game skid.

What do you take away from Monday’s loss?

JC: “Our margin for error is just that more slim. We have to muster up that sustainability. Just being able to sustain like we did the second half. We need to do that both halves. Obviously that’s tough to do, but if we can do it, we give ourselves a much better chance to come out with a win.”

How do you and Austin Rivers balance the role between distributing and attacking with so many players out, and is it still a learning process playing alongside teammates you might not otherwise if everyone was healthy?

JC: “It’s just tough because, in the NBA, at the end of the shot clock, it always ends up kind of in the guards’ hands. And that sometimes, is why you see (jump shots), because it works around and things break down and it ends up in the guards’ hands. For us, obviously our hearts are in the right place. We’re trying to get guys shots. We’re both naturally attackers and naturally scorers, but we’re very cognizant of trying to get our guys shots, for sure.”

How slim are the margins for error now, and can fatigue start to wear on you guys when you’re so shorthanded?

JC: “It all plays a part, and we’re all fighting. We really are. We’re all competing and trying. But you look at the last three losses, two of them we’re leading in the fourth quarter. So, that’s almost tougher to handle after it’s over with than losing by 20. Sometimes you lay an egg, and you’re down, losing by 20 points. To kind of control your own destiny and control your own fate in the fourth quarter when it’s winning time and to be up two, three, four points and lose that game… it’s tough.”

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24 Seconds With … Jamal Crawford | 12/27/16

Joseph Ibarra

SAN ANTONIO – Kids growing up in Seattle no longer have an NBA team to watch.

So when Dejounte Murray, then a sixth grader playing on Shawn Kemp’s AAU team, watched Crawford walk up and talk to his team after a game at a middle school, it was a moment any kid growing up in Seattle would cherish.

“Younger student-athletes all the way to grown men, he just does a lot for everyone,” Murray said. “What he does for this city is unbelievable.”

Crawford had heard about the gifted young player coming up from the same area he grew up.

“’Baby Boy,’ he’s going to be good,” Crawford said people would tell him.

Nearly a decade later, “Baby Boy,” more commonly known as Dejounte Murray, is now a 2016 first-round pick of the San Antonio Spurs. And no one is more overjoyed about that than the role model who helped guide him along that path.

“He was like my little brother,” Crawford said. “To see him and see this moment, so much has gone into this.”

From that sixth grade moment forward, a constant dialogue began, even before Murray went on to attend Rainier Beach, the same high school Crawford attended 15 years prior.

The school has become a hotbed of eventual NBA talents, from Crawford and Murray, to Doug Christie, to Nate Robinson, to C.J. Giles and Terrence Williams. But making it out of South Seattle and getting to that level is still noteworthy.

“We take a lot of pride being from there, especially in our neighborhood where there aren’t always the best things happening,” Crawford said. “To be able to navigate through that, and not even just make it to the NBA, but to be a model citizen and just life in general, to be a role model, I think it’s big.”

That’s why when Crawford sees someone with the potential of Murray, he reaches out. But even among the many young Seattle natives Crawford does that for, Murray stood out – mostly because from the first day he talked to him, Crawford saw a lot of himself in the kid.

“It was like a carbon copy,” Crawford said. “I gravitated toward him. He’s so genuine.”

It’s become less of an older brother/.younger brother dynamic and more of a tight friendship. Crawford wanted Murray to feel free to ask him anything.

When Crawford was coming up in the league, he was close with Christie and Gary Payton, two players Crawford said took him under their wing. But he still didn’t feel comfortable texting them or asking too many questions.

“To have that line,” Crawford said, “it makes the transition a little smoother.”

And the line with Murray has always been open. Murray said that started back in middle school, and that contact remains today.

The advice can be simple. Keep an open mind. Always ask questions. Always keep the right attitude. Always work hard.

“He does those things anyway,” Crawford said, “so it’s pretty easy.”

Nowadays, with Murray arriving, it’s more cracking jokes than words of wisdom, as it can often be between two close friends.

“It means a lot,” Murray said Saturday, before playing Crawford’s Clippers for the first time as a pro. “When you’re successful, a professional athlete, you can help a lot of others. That’s one thing he did, is help me get to where I’m at today.”

That’s not unusual for young basketballers from Seattle, who look forward to Crawford’s return every summer when he holds his annual Pro-Am tournament, giving those in a city without an NBA team the opportunity to watch pro players.

Murray wishes more professional athletes would do something similar. For now, he’s just trying to follow in Crawford’s footsteps.

“I’m trying to have a long career like he has,” Murray said. “He’s 36, he’s played a lot of years. He’s successful, and he’s still climbing in that top 100 scoring list. He’s a great dude.”

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Spurs Rookie Murray Thankful For Crawford’s Guidance In Road To NBA

Anthony Davila

LOS ANGELES – Jamal Crawford made the list of winners in the National Basketball Players Association’s 2016 Player Voice Awards, revealed on social media Thursday afternoon.

The reigning and three-time Sixth Man of the Year was named “Best Off The Bench,” given to the NBA player who best provides the spark of energy and reliability needed from a player off the bench.  

“Jamal Crawford’s a guy who can get you a bucket in the blink of an eye,” Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum said in an NBPA video on the award. “He has an aggressiveness and a quiet confidence that allows him to be successful.”

Crawford averaged 14.2 points and 2.3 assists per game during the 2015-16 season, scoring at least 15 points off the bench in 10 straight games from Jan. 27-Feb. 20, the longest streak for any reserve player during the year. He also recorded the most games with at least 15 points off the bench from Dec. 25 through the end of the year, leading the Clippers in fourth-quarter scoring for the year.

The Players Voice Awards are the only awards voted on by the players and for the players. The various categories included MVP (Stephen Curry), Best Rookie (Karl-Anthony Towns), Best Dressed (Russell Westbrook), Player You Secretly Wish Was On Your Team (LeBron James), Clutch Performer (Curry), Best Defender (Kawhi Leonard), Toughest To Guard (Curry), Coach You’d Most Like To Play For (Gregg Popovich), Best Home Court Advantage (Warriors), Comeback Player Of The Year (Paul George), Favorite Social Media Follow (James) and more.

In collaboration with ACE Media, the NBPA created video packages celebrating each winner, along with testimonials from various NBA players. Voting for the awards took place after the regular season and didn’t factor in postseason performances.

“It’s always nice to be recognized for your accomplishments, but it’s extra special to win an award when you know it’s voted on by your peers,” Chris Paul, NBPA president and Clippers point guard, said in a release. “The Players Voice Awards allow us to celebrate the best performers of the year, and have some fun with the non-traditional categories.”

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Crawford Wins Players Voice Award For “Best Off The Bench”

Robyn Dixon

LOS ANGELES – With 12 more appearances in the same uniform, Jamal Crawford will have played more regular season games with the Clippers than any other team in his 16-year career.

Seattle will always be Crawford’s first home, but Crawford made sure the city he’s felt for years was a second home also stayed his professional home as he officially re-signed in Los Angeles on a three-year deal with the Clippers.

“I’ve said it the whole time, I wanted to come back here,” Crawford said after making his signing official late last week.

Crawford had offers elsewhere, and it wasn’t always clear where he’d end up as the 36-year-old considered his free agent options in a market most NBA players wanted to be a part of with the salary cap rising. But, Crawford got the offer he was looking for with the Clippers, giving the three-time Sixth Man of the Year a sense of permanence and comfort with his sixth team since joining the league in 2000.

Since joining the Clippers in 2012, Crawford has averaged more than 14 points per game each of the past four seasons and earned two of his three Sixth Man of the Year honors. He said he wanted to return, and the Clippers did what it took to keep him.

Despite playing four years with the Bulls and more than four years with the Knicks, Crawford’s already played more games with the Clippers than anywhere else including his postseason appearances. In terms of regular season matchups, the Clippers will become Crawford’s most tenured team in November, assuming he’s on the court early this upcoming season.

“At the end of the season, you don’t have to move your stuff out,” Crawford said with a grin. “You know you’ll be here; you know you’re a part of the core. You’ve found a home, so to speak.”

That’s what most of the Clippers on the roster felt they found by the end of last season, which is why so many of the free agents tried to do what they could to stay, despite the Clippers’ tight cap situation. In the end, Crawford, Austin Rivers, Wesley Johnson and Luc Mbah a Moute all officially signed when the moratorium ended to stay with the Clippers.

While the Clippers’ core has remained intact for years, the backup group alongside Crawford has often been in flux. Crawford said keeping some consistency should help build the second unit’s chemistry – something Rivers also said he agreed with after deciding to return.

“I think me and Jamal progressively got better with each other,” Rivers said. “I think me and him will just continue to grow.”

Crawford said the unity throughout the team separated the Clippers from other places in the NBA – from the front office down to the locker room.

“That’s kind of unusual in this business,” Crawford said. “I’m not saying everything’s perfect or we don’t have our ups and downs or see things from different points of view; but overall, it’s a family.”

It’s easier for it to become that way when, after wins, players’ actual families can routinely be seen in the locker room at STAPLES Center. The players freely bring their kids in to celebrate and meet other players’ kids, and Crawford’s children are often a part of that mix. Many times, players’ kids become close friends.

Crawford said those types of aspects can’t be overlooked in terms of building camaraderie and a family-like atmosphere.

“My wife, we’ve been together 10 years now, but we’ve been in one place the longest here, so this is where she kind of knows from a team aspect,” Crawford said. “This is kind of like our home as well.”

And that home is getting bigger, as Crawford welcomed another daughter to the family a month ago. A smile crept over Crawford’s face as he described both how cool it was and how the nights have often been sleepless this summer, calling his wife the MVP of their household.

Crawford’s tried to spend as much time as he can with family this summer while also working out. His Pro-Am tournament in Seattle is now in full swing, and with his contract signed to stick in Los Angeles, he can finally get back on the court and play – something he’s been itching to do all summer, at least until the season winds back up.

Once that happens, there’s only one thought in his mind – one of the only things that’s eluded him as he continues to crawl up the all-time leaderboards entering his 17th NBA season.