LOS ANGELES, Sporting Alert – Chris Paul poured in 28 points and 12 assists to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 105-86 victory over the San Antonio Spurs 105-86 in an NBA game on Thursday night.
Paul, who is averaging 19.5 points and 9.4 assists per game this season, shot 9-of-18 from the field while pulling down five rebounds for the LA Clippers (36-18), who never trailed in the game and led by as many as 20 points after using a 20-8 run to start the third quarter.
Reserve guard Jamal Crawford added 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting and dished out six assists, and J.J. Redick, who went 7-of-13 from the floor, including 2-for-2 from 3-pointers, finished with 17 points for the Clippers, who were beating the Spurs for the first time since their Game 7 win in the Western Conference first round of the 2015 playoffs.
Tony Parker scored 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting for San Antonio, with David West adding 12 four rebounds and four steals for the Spurs (45-9), who had their six-game winning streak snapped.
LaMarcus Aldridge shot just 3-of-12 from the floor for 10 points while Tim Duncan scored only two points on 1-of-6 shooting in 20 minutes.
The experienced center also grabbed six rebounds for San Antonio, which managed to cut the LA Clippers big lead to five in the fourth quarter before the hosts took over again.
San Antonio shot 42 percent from the floor, but was only 4-for-17 from 3-point range and was outrebounded 45-33 in the defeat.
The men from Texas were unable to recover from a slow start in the first half where they shot 15-of-43 from the floor.
Los Angeles led 42-34 at halftime and shot 63 percent from long-range.
“The group did not play at a high enough level to win a road game,” West admitted. “We were not solid enough, and obviously we shot the ball like crap in the first half.
“We just could not execute enough to keep pace with them.”
The game capped off an emotional day for both group of players and coaches who traveled to Oklahoma City to attend the funeral for the wife of Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coach Monty Williams earlier in the day.
She was killed in a car accident.
Meanwhile, the Spurs played without star forward Kawhi Leonard because of tightness in his left calf, while the Clippers were again without forward Blake Griffin, who continues to nurse a broken hand.
Guard Austin Rivers was also out for Los Angeles due to a hairline fracture in his left hand but says he should be able to return in two weeks.
DeAndre Jordan collected 17 rebounds for the Clippers, who play hosts to the defending champions Golden State Warriors on Saturday.
NBA SCORES ON THURSDAY NIGHT
CAVALIERS 106, BULLS 95 – RECAP, SCORES
CLIPPERS 105, SPURS 86 – Box Score
WIZARDS 103, JAZZ 89 – Box Score
