Chris Paul/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers
After leading by as many as 17 points early in the second quarter, the Clippers on Saturday night settled for a five-point lead (55-50) over the Atlanta Hawks at halftime at Staples Center.
Chris Paul led the Clippers (40-20 with 15 points and seven assists, Paul Pierce scored 11, Jeff Green had 12 points with J.J. Redick scoring eight.
Jeff Teague led Atlanta (34-28) with 10 points and three assists and Dennis Schroder scored 10 off the bench.
Atlanta’s Jeff Teague, left, battles with the Clippers’ Wesley Johnson for a loose ball during the second half of the Clippers’ 85-83 victory Wednesday at Atlanta/AP photo by John Bazemore
Count Kent Bazemore of the Atlanta Hawks among those who were impressed by the Clippers on Wednesday night after they defeated the host Hawks 85-83 at Philips Arena in Atlanta.
Afterward, Bazemore was asked about the Clippers’ effort.
“You shake their hand,” said Bazemore, who started at small forward and scored 12 points for the Hawks (27-20). “They played well, especially coming off a back-to-back. They played hard. They’re a tough team. They’re playing really well right now. With Blake Griffin out, they’re a totally different team. They came in here and took care of business.”
The Clippers (30-16) are 13-3 since Griffin went down with a partially torn left quad tendon; he has not played since Christmas. He would have likely been back on this just-concluded five-game road trip, but he fractured his right hand punching the Clippers’ assistant equipment manager at a restaurant Saturday in Toronto. Griffin could return sometime around the beginning of March.