Paul-led Clippers rout Pelicans
LOS ANGELES -- Chris Paul scored 20 points and dished out a season-high 20 assists, and the Los Angeles Clippers extended the woes of the New Orleans Pelicans with a 133-105 rout on Saturday night at Staples Center.
Both clubs were without their main stars. Clippers forward Blake Griffin missed the contest with a sore right knee, while the Pelicans were without center-forward Anthony Davis (rest) and guard Jrue Holiday (toe injury). Davis will return Sunday when the Pelicans visit the Phoenix Suns.
Paul fell one assist shy of his career high of 21, which he recorded on Nov. 6, 2007, against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jamal Crawford scored 22 for the Clippers, while center DeAndre Jordan had 19 points and nine rebounds, allowing him to top the 6,000 mark for career rebounds. Jordan now has 6,017 boards.
Austin Rivers contributed 18 points, Marreese Speights had 17 and J.J. Redick added 16 for the Clippers (17-7).
Tim Frazier had 20 points and 11 assists to lead the Pelicans (7-17), who lost their fifth in a row. Dante Cunningham scored 19, Cheick Diallo collected 18 points, and rookie Buddy Hield added 15 for New Orleans. Soloman Hill finished with 13 points.
An 18-6 surge to open the third quarter allowed the Clippers to take command. Two 3-pointers by Rivers and six points by Jordan sparked the run, giving Los Angeles a 79-61 advantage less than five minutes into the period.
Rivers scored 11 points in the third by hitting all four of his field-goal attempts, three of them from long distance. However, Rivers left the game with 4:22 in the period after taking an elbow to the jaw from New Orleans forward Terrance Jones. He did not return.
Speights buried a 3-pointer just before the horn to end the third, boosting the Clippers to a 98-80 edge. Los Angeles outscored New Orleans 37-25 in the third.
The Clippers led 61-55 at the break.
Los Angeles forward Luc Mbah a Moute recorded his 500th career assist.
NOTES: Despite their recent woes, Clippers coach Doc Rivers said his club hasn't panicked. "We just haven't played well the last week or two," Rivers said. "Part of it is self-induced, part of it is scheduling. We just have to keep working." ... Los Angeles reserve G Raymond Felton missed his second game due to a family matter. ... The Pelicans signed G/F Reggie Williams. The 6-foot-6, 210-pound Williams averaged 17.1 points and 5.8 rebounds in 11 games for the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA Development League. ... Clippers broadcaster Ralph Lawler worked his 3,000th regular-season game, joining Al McCoy of the Phoenix Suns and George Blaha of the Detroit Pistons as the only active NBA announcers to accomplish the feat. ... The Clippers will host the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.