Chris Paul/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers, NBA.com
– The Clippers received a total of five technical fouls in this one. Sure, some seemed a bit quick. But these guys bark more at referees than probably anybody in the league. Afterward, Chris Paul was caught criticizing rookie referee Lauren Holtkamp, who T’d up Paul early in the third quarter when he was trying to take the ball out quickly. “I think we have to show better composure, but at the same time some of (the technical fouls] were ridiculous,” Paul told ESPN.com afterward. “The tech that I get right there was ridiculous. I don’t care what nobody says, I don’t care what she says; that’s terrible. There’s no way that can be a tech. We try to get the ball out fast every time down the court, and when we did that, she said, ‘Uh-uh.’ I said, ‘Why, uh-uh?’ And she gave me a tech. That’s ridiculous. If that’s the case, this might not be for her.”
– Forget the score (105-94). This was a 30-point loss, period. The Clippers were down 31 after three quarters and only garbage time when their reserves outscored Cleveland’s made this score somewhat respectable. Bottom line is, the Clippers were beaten every which way by a Cavs team that has now won 12 concecutive games.
– Don’t think for a second that this blowout loss didn’t have at least something to do with what happened Monday in Brooklyn when the Clippers blew a nine-point lead with 1:46 to play and lost 102-100 to the host Nets. Talk about a hangover.
– Two of the Clippers’ technical fouls were against Matt Barnes, and he was ejected from the game after his second in the third quarter. Barnes now is tied for the league lead in technicals with 11. Russell Westbrook of OKC and Markieff Morris of Phoenix also have 11 apiece.
– The Clippers were not helped by the absence of J.J. Redick, who missed the game with back spasms. That meant sixth-man Jamal Crawford had to start for Redick. Crawford shot 6 of 14 from the field and Paul was just 4 of 14, meaning the two starting guards shot a combined 10 of 28 from the field (35.7 percent). That’s not going to cut it in most games.
