Clippers bury Nets for 7th win in row
LOS ANGELES -- Chris Paul had 21 points, nine assists and five steals, leading the Los Angeles Clippers to a 127-95 romp over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night at Staples Center.
Blake Griffin added 20 points, six rebounds and six assists, while J.J. Redick contributed 18 points for the Clippers (10-1). Los Angeles captured its seventh straight win and six consecutive decision at Staples over the Nets.
Jamal Crawford had 17 points off the bench for Los Angeles. Defensive specialist Luc Mbah a Moute reached double figures for the second game in a row, finishing with 11 points and hitting all five of his field-goal attempts. Raymond Felton also scored 11.
Brooklyn played without leading scorer Brook Lopez, who rested in order to avoid playing back-to-back games. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 18 points, and Sean Kilpatrick finished with 14 for the Nets. Yogi Ferrell and Chris McCullough chipped in 13 each.
The Nets (4-6) fell to 1-4 on the road.
The Clippers, who sport the NBA's best record, have been a juggernaut at home. In their past five home contests, their average margin of victory is 25.2 points. With the exception of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who registered an 85-83 at Staples on Nov. 2, no team has come within 13 points while visiting the Clippers.
Brooklyn never had a chance. The Clippers, who led by as many as 40, rolled to a 39-14 advantage after one quarter before taking a 71-47 lead at the break. By the end of the third quarter, the margin grew to 99-65 for Los Angeles.
Griffin scored 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting and Paul added 16 more by hitting six of eight shots from the floor in the first half.
The Nets committed 12 turnovers, resulting in 20 points, to only four (five points) for the Clippers before intermission. Overall, Brooklyn had 22 miscues (leading to 35 points) to 12 (13 points) for Los Angeles.
Los Angeles outshot Brooklyn 53.3 percent to 44.2 percent. From 3-point range, the Clippers connected on 14 of 25 attempts (56 percent) to 10 of 33 (30.3 percent) for the Nets.
NOTES: Clippers F Blake Griffin averaged 21.6 points, nine rebounds and 4.8 assists in his previous five games. Griffin was shooting 51.9 percent during that stretch, and he hit 9 of 15 shots Monday. ... The Nets' reserves entered the night averaging 45.4 points per game, second in the league to the Los Angeles Lakers (51.3 points). Brooklyn's backups registered 48 points against the Clippers. ... Nets G Jeremy Lin sat out his fifth consecutive game with a strained left hamstring. There is no timetable for his return. ... Clippers F Wesley Johnson (left heel contusion) missed his second straight contest. Johnson is listed as day-to-day. ... The Nets play the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on Tuesday. The Clippers host the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.