Clippers hold on, end 7-game road skid against the Nets
The Los Angeles Clippers were reminded by assistant coach Lawrence Frank on Saturday that they hadn't won in Brooklyn.
Their road woes against the Nets actually went back to when Frank was the Nets' coach, eight years and another state ago.
Blake Griffin and J.J. Redick each scored 21 points, and the Clippers ended a seven-game road losing streak against the Nets with a 105-100 victory Saturday night.
Chris Paul had 15 points and 14 assists for the Clippers, who hadn't beaten the Nets on the road since Dec. 11, 2007, back in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Clippers never beat them during the Nets' brief stay in Newark and had been 0-3 in Brooklyn.
They blew a big lead here last season and nearly did it again, which Paul said has been a problem this season.
"It's a negative in that we're still letting teams back in the game, but it's a positive that we were able to close it out," Paul said.
DeAndre Jordan finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds as the Clippers bounced back from Thursday's loss in Chicago to improve to 3-1 on their road trip that ends Monday in Detroit.
"Our defense has really improved and if we keep on this track we're going to be where we think we should be," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said.
Thaddeus Young scored 18 points and Jarrett Jack had 16 points and 11 assists for the Nets, who were trying for their first three-game winning streak of the season.
The Clippers made 11 of their first 15 shots but didn't build much of a lead until a 10-0 run in the second quarter made it 42-26 on Paul Pierce's 3-pointer. They maintained a comfortable cushion that reached 18 and never seemed in danger of losing until the Nets started intentionally fouling Jordan in the fourth quarter as their catalyst for a comeback.
Brooklyn got within two points on multiple occasions, but Paul and Griffin had consecutive baskets to make it 101-95 with 49 seconds to play.
"That's why you win games, because your players make plays," Nets coach Lionel Hollis said.
The Nets had won six of seven at home but couldn't overcome a series of misadventures, from Andrea Bargnani's pass out of bounds behind him, to Brook Lopez and Young colliding while going for a ball and knocking it directly to Jordan for a dunk, to an unusual lane violation on a technical foul shot, when Paul should have been the only one there. Paul said Lopez was standing down along the baseline like it was a regular free throw.
They still almost pulled it out, getting 15 points apiece from Joe Johnson and Bojan Bogdanovic.
TIP-INS
Clippers: The Clippers won for just the second time in their last 17 road games against the Nets. They are just 9-33 all-time on the road in the series. ... A loss Saturday and the Clippers would have matched their longest active road streak against an opponent. They have dropped eight in a row to Golden State. ... Pierce, who played one season with the Nets, had 10 points in 13 minutes.
Nets: The Nets are now undefeated at home against two teams since moving to Brooklyn in 2012. They are 6-0 against Orlando and 3-0 against Sacramento. They host the Magic on Monday. ... Backup guard Shane Larkin was limited to six minutes after getting poked in the eye in the first half.
WHAT TIME IS IT?
The unusual 5 p.m. EST tip took some adjusting for Rivers. "I read the schedule, 5 o'clock, I thought they meant West Coast. That means 8 o'clock. I thought it was an 8 o'clock game up until two days ago and they said, no, the game's actually at 5," he said. "So it's not bad actually. I mean, I'm not used to it, but it's kind of nice because you can go to dinner after a game. That's nice." Told that statement sounded like it would come from Gregg Popovich, who enjoys a good meal and fine wine, Rivers responded: "That's the way I'm thinking. I'll be drinking like Pop later, too."
UP NEXT
Clippers: Visit Detroit on Monday.
Nets: Host Orlando on Monday.
