Clippers outlast Kings
SACRAMENTO -- Austin Rivers has his second straight big shooting night and Chris Paul returned to the lineup for an immediate impact as the Los Angeles Clippers outlasted the Sacramento Kings 106-98 at the Golden 1 Center on Friday.
Rivers followed up his season-high 28 points from the Clippers' Jan. 4 win over Memphis with a 24-point night, and Paul logged 12 assists -- including six in the fourth quarter -- while also moving to 10th on the all-time NBA assists list. Paul's feed to a cutting Luc Mbah a Moute for a dunk with 6:15 left in third quarter marked his 7,988th career assist and moved him past Rod Strickland.
The Clippers (25-12) used a huge second period to slingshot them into a lead they'd never give up. There would be just one tie in the second half, 73-73 with 1:34 left in the third period, and the Kings would get as close as one point just once in the fourth.
Sacramento trailed 100-98 with 40 seconds to go, but Paul managed to steal an interior pass from DeMarcus Cousins intended for Rudy Gay. He was fouled and then proceeded to score the game's final six points from the free throw line. Paul finished with 14 points and six rebounds to go with his dozen assists.
Cousins delivered a fantastic all-around game for Sacramento, posting 25 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks.
The Kings (15-21), who have been fighting lethargic starts recently, had no such troubles to open Friday's contest. Sacramento shot 50 percent from the field and never trailed en route to a 29-19 lead after one period.
Then the second period happened.
Los Angeles blitzed Sacramento, outscoring the Kings 34-12 behind the outside shooting of Rivers and JJ Redick. The guard tandem combined for 20 points in the period and four of the team's five 3-pointers during the frame. Rivers finished the first half with 18 points and Redick had 11. Redick would finish with 19.
It was a transition 3-pointer by Rivers that delivered the game's first tie, 34-34 with 6:49 left in the half. That basket, and Paul's go-ahead jumper at the 5:14 mark, were part of a 28-5 run that ended on a Redick 3-pointer and boos from the Golden 1 faithful.
Marresse Speights came off the bench to grab seven of his 11 rebounds during the Clippers big second period. There were plenty of rebounds to be had, too, as the Kings shot just 3 of 20 from the field.
Gay started and played in just his second game since Dec. 12, a span of 12 games. He provided a nice offensive spark for the Kings, especially during the team's strong first- and third-period efforts, and finished with 18 points and 7 rebounds.
NOTES: Clippers All-Star Chris Paul returned to the lineup for the first time since a Dec. 28 game at New Orleans. It ended a stretch of four games missed due to a sore left hamstring. He missed three previous games from Dec. 23-26 due to a strain in the muscle. "There's no real minutes restriction, just more minutes in a row," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said of Paul's return. "We don't want him to get over that eight, nine minutes in a row stuff." ... L.A.'s Blake Griffin remained sidelined for an 11th game following an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee. ... Kings center DeMarcus Cousins entered the game coming off of his lowest scoring output of the season, 13 points in 32 minutes during a 107-102 loss to visiting Miami on Jan. 4. It was only the fifth time in 34 games the All-Star was held under 20. ... The Clippers began the night with eight straight victorious trips to the state capital, not having lost since March 19, 2013.