Clippers 109, Trail Blazers 98
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Guard Chris Paul scored 21 points and dished out a season-high 19 assists to guide the Los Angeles Clippers to a 109-98 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers Wednesday night at the Moda Center.
Guard JJ Redick scored 20 points, forward Paul Pierce added 17 and center DeAndre Jordan contributed 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Clippers (23-13), who won their seventh straight game, the NBA's longest active streak.
Guard Damian Lillard collected 20 points, seven rebounds and nine assists while center Mason Plumlee had 19 points and nine boards for the Trail Blazers (15-23).
Paul led four Clippers scoring in double figures before halftime with 15 points and also had seven assists as the Clippers carried a 63-40 lead to intermission. L.A. shot 55. percent from the field, making 6 of 9 3-point attempts, and was 13 for 15 from the foul line in the half.
The Blazers' trimmed the difference to 70-58 with an 18-7 run to start the third quarter, but the Clippers answered with a 9-2 surge to stoke it to 79-62. They were ahead 85-70 going into the final period.
Portland outscored the Clippers 13-4 to open the fourth quarter, drawing to within 89-83. Lillard knocked down a 3-point shot to close it to 95-89 with 5:30 left, then another 3 to get the Blazers within 101-94 with 3:15 to play. But Jordan dunked off a feed from Paul and guard Austin Rivers converted a layup for a 105-94 Clippers edge. Portland never got closer than seven points the rest of the way.
The Clippers got off to a 13-4 lead in the game's first four minutes. With Paul and Pierce leading the way, they took a 31-18 advantage into the second quarter.
Portland trimmed the L.A. lead to 31-23, but guard Jamal Crawford's four-point play started a 6-0 surge that hiked the advantage to 37-23. It was 59-37 after a Pierce' 3-pointer late in the second period.
NOTES: Clippers F Blake Griffin (quad) missed his sixth straight game Wednesday. ... The Clippers are 6-0 without Griffin. "We don't make a big deal about it," coach Doc Rivers said. "With 82 games, you're going to have injuries. No one is going to take over what Blake does, but as a group, we've really come together." ... Portland coach Terry Stotts said he is not surprised by the Clippers' record without their All-Star power forward because of the presence of their All-Star point guard. "I have that much respect for Chris Paul," Stotts said. "This gives him more responsibility. He is great at orchestrating an offense." ... F Wesley Johnson started for the Clippers despite a bout with plantar fasciitis. ... The Blazers beat the Clippers 102-91 on Nov. 20 in their last meeting at Moda Center, a day after L.A. had lost a home date with Golden State. The Clippers had three days off going into tonight's meeting.