Clippers down Jazz in home opener
LOS ANGELES -- Austin Rivers came off the bench to score 19 points and Blake Griffin added 18 points and 10 rebounds, sparking the Los Angeles Clippers to an 88-75 victory over the Utah Jazz in their home opener on Sunday at Staples Center.
Reserve Jamal Crawford chipped in 12 points, while center DeAndre Jordan contributed 10 points and 16 rebounds for the Clippers (2-0).
George Hill paced the Jazz with 18 points and was the only Utah player to reach double figures. Joe Johnson scored seven points in the opening quarter, but failed to score again.
The Clippers grabbed a 42-35 lead at the break. Both teams struggled offensively in the first half, with the Clippers shooting 35.7 percent to 36.1 percent for the Jazz. Utah committed 10 turnovers, leading to 12 points, while Los Angeles turned the ball over eight times (eight points).
Overall, the Clippers hit 41 percent of their shots to 39.7 percent for the Jazz (1-2). Los Angeles managed to convert 6 of 27 attempts (22.2 percent) from behind the 3-point arc compared to seven of 19 (36.1 percent) for Utah.
The Clippers outrebounded the Jazz 49-43.
Griffin made five of his nine shots for 12 points before intermission, allowing him to pass Corey Maggette (8,835) for fourth on the Clippers' all-time scoring list. Griffin now has 8,846 points in his career.
A 10-2 run by the Clippers boosted them to a 52-37 advantage to open the third quarter and they stayed in command the rest of the contest. The Clippers held a 69-56 edge heading into the final quarter.
Jordan suffered a sprained right thumb in the third quarter, but returned briefly in the fourth quarter.
Los Angeles has captured wins in five consecutive home openers.
NOTES: Clippers coach Doc Rivers said Utah's addition of G George Hill, F Joe Johnson and F Boris Diaw were the biggest pickups of the offseason with the exception of Golden State adding F Kevin Durant. "They had a terrific summer," Rivers said. ... Los Angeles F Jamal Crawford (1,934) needed five 3-pointers to pass Memphis F Vince Carter for sixth on the all-time list. ... The Jazz leads the NBA with the most international players on their roster. They are C Rudy Gobert (France), F Boris Diaw (France), G Dante Exum (Australia), F Joe Ingles (Australia), G Raul Neto (Brazil), F Trey Lyles (Canada) and F Joel Bolomboy (Ukraine). ... The Clippers host the Phoenix Suns on Monday. ... The Jazz visit the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday.