Clippers 111, Thunder 103
Blake Griffin collected 22 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists as Los Angeles took over in the second half to chase visiting Oklahoma City.
Chris Paul recorded 14 points and 16 assists and Jamal Crawford poured in 20 points off the bench for the Clippers, who improved to 4-0 at home. J.J. Redick and DeAndre Jordan added 15 points apiece for Los Angeles.
Kevin Durant had 33 points and 10 assists and Russell Westbrook added 19 points and 10 assists as the Thunder had a four-game winning streak come to an end. Durant went 15-of-17 at the free-throw line and added six rebounds.
Serge Ibaka, who had been 6-for-6 from the field in the first half, was ejected along with Clippers forward Matt Barnes after an altercation with 6.2 seconds left in the first half but Oklahoma City went into the break looking strong with a 62-53 lead. Los Angeles took advantage of Ibaka being off the floor in the third quarter and shifted the game in its favor, grabbing a 74-71 lead on Griffin’s three-point play with 3:55 left in the stanza and taking an 81-78 edge into the fourth.
Oklahoma City did not make a field goal for the first 5:43 of the fourth before catching fire to pull back within 100-96 with 3:25 to play. Crawford scored four points to push it back out to an eight-point gap and nailed a 3-pointer with 34 seconds left to put the game away.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Griffin drew a technical foul as part of the scrum that included Ibaka and Barnes, which started when Ibaka and Griffin got tangled up and Barnes rushed in to shove Ibaka in the chest. … Oklahoma City C Kendrick Perkins missed the game following the death of his grandfather. … Paul is the first player since Magic Johnson in 1990-91 to begin the season with nine straight games of double-digit points and assists.