Clippers beat Denver on the road

Chris Paul’s two foul shots with 17 seconds left sealed the 109-105 come-from-behind win for the Clippers in Denver. Paul and former Nugget Chauncey Billups spearheaded the comeback in the fourth and helped Los Angeles (11-6) gets its second road win of the season.

“As you know, we gotta get better on the road, said Billups, who played with Denver last season before getting shipped to the Knicks midway through the year. “We have to be locked in defensively. Chris hit some major, major baskets at the end. It was a good win for us”

The Clippers were down 10 in the fourth quarter, but went on a 10-point run with shots by the two veterans. The Clippers went up three points late, but Denver’s Nene hit two straight dunks and got the host team up by one with 47 seconds left.

Paul then took control of the game for the Clippers.

He drove to the bucket and missed the shot, but got fouled. He hit both foul shots and put the Clippers up one 105-104 with 35.9 left.

The Nuggets then missed the shot to take the lead, but after Jordan got the rebound, he got fouled and was sent to the free throw line. He missed the first and made the second to put the Clippers up 107-105 with 23 seconds remaining.

Denver (14-6) then one last chance to tie, but Nene got called an offensive foul on a drive to tie the score, and the change of possession gave the ball back to the Clippers with 18.1 left. Paul then got fouled and made two foul shots and Denver missed its last-chance shot to end the game.

Billups finished with 32 points – including six of 12 from the 3-point line – and Paul had 25 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Blake Griffin added 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

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Nene led Denver with 18 points and Danilo Gaillineri had 17.

The Clippers return to Staples tomorrow to face Oklahoma City, which is the top team in the Western Conference, play in Utah on Wednesday

Nene hit two straight dunks turned a three-point deficit for Denver to a one-point lead with 47.3 seconds left.

CLIPPERS RECALL ERIC BLEDSOE FROM BAKERSFIELD

The Clippers today recalled guard Eric Bledsoe from the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League. Bledsoe, 22, appeared in two games with the Jam as he continues his rehabilitation from surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee. Bledsoe is with the Clippers in Denver and will be available for tonight’s game against the Nuggets.

In two games with the Jam, Bledsoe averaged 12.5 points and 8.5 assists in 21.0 minutes per game.

HUGE TEST AWAITING THE CLIPPERS

The schedule has been relatively kind to the Clippers to start the season.

It is about to become unkind.

Beginning Sunday the Clippers will play 10 games in 16 days including three back-to-backs and one stretch in which they play on three consecutive nights.

Oh, and did I mention eight of those ten games are on the road?

If anyone is wondering why the Clippers played it so safe with Chris Paul, the upcoming schedule is why.

Paul could have come back earlier than he did, but the Clippers understood the importance of buying some time with him knowing the schedule was about to go from tough to ridiculously tough.

Clippers waive Courtney Fortson

The Los Angeles Clippers today waived guard Courtney Fortson. He was signed by the Clippers on Jan. 16 and appeared in four games, averaging 4.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 11.2 minutes.

The 5-foot-11 guard scored a career-high 13 points on Jan. 17 vs. Utah.

Fortson was promoted from the D-League after Chris Paul injured his hamstring and then Paul returned the lineup Wednesday.

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Clippers beat Memphis 98-91

The Clippers outscored Memphis 24-17 in the fourth quarter to win at Staples Center 98-91.

Blake Griffin led Los Angeles (10-6) with a near triple-double – 20 points, eight assists and nine rebounds – and Chris Paul almost had one too, with 18 points, seven assists and seven rebounds.

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(Chris Paul tries to go around Mike Conley)

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(Blake Griffin drives on Rudy Gay of the Grizzlies)

Marc Gasol got the Grizzlies as close as two points with under a minute to go, but then the Clippers clamped down. Caron Butler had a drive and a basket with 58 seconds left to get Los Angeles up four, then Paul had a steal and got fouled, which resulted in two free throws to get the advantage to six, 95-89.

Butler then hit a free throw and OJ Mayo tried a desperation 3-pointer, but missed and Gasol had another chance to score, but also missed.

DeAndre Jordan then hit a free throw and Griffin had another one that ended the game at 98-91.

Along with Griffin’s and Paul’s near triple-doubles, Jordan finished the game with nine points and nine rebounds and Butler added 17 points.

Rudy Gay led Memphis with 24 points and Gasol added 18 points and 11 rebounds.

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(Head coach Vinny Del Negro in the press room)