J.J. Redick/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers, NBA.com
Even though the New Orleans Pelicans are without superstar forward Anthony Davis (groin injury), the Clippers led them by just one point (54-53) at halftime Friday at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
Blake Griffin led the Clippers (32-14) with 11 first-half points. J.J. Redick, who did not play Wednesday at Utah because of back spasms, scored 10.
New Orleans (24-22) got 15 points from Eric Gordon.
Austin Rivers/Photo courtesy of New Orelans Pelicans, NBA.com
With all the rumors swirling about the possibility of guard Austin Rivers coming to the Clippers in a trade with Boston – the younger Rivers is part of a deal that apparently will send him from New Orleans to Boston , though official confirmation has yet to come on that – Clippers coach Doc Rivers was asked about all that Sunday morning before his team took on Miami at 12:30 p.m. at Staples Center.
Coach Rivers couldn’t say much because of league rules, so everything was hypothetical. Among those questions came one asking the elder Rivers if he was concerned he might play favorites with his son, who would likely be a reserve.
“I probably show favoritism to Blake (Griffin) and Chris (Paul),” Rivers said. “I love my son, but I’m still going to favor Blake and Chris and those guys first. The only one that would be upset with that would be Kris Rivers”
Kristen Rivers is the wife of Doc and mother of Austin.
Again, the Austin Rivers to Celtics trade is not official. The Pelicans and Celtics play each other Monday at Boston. Austin Rivers was still listed on the New Orleans roster as of Sunday. Memphis is also involved in the Rivers-to-Boston deal, according to multiple reports.
Blake Griffin of the Clippers is guarded by Anthony Davis of the Pelicans during the first half of the Clippers’ 120-100 victory on Saturday at Staples Center/Photo by Associated Press
Blake Griffin is like any superstar – he loves a challenge.
He had a big one Saturday when he guarded fellow power forward Anthony Davis – and vice-versa – when the Clippers hosted the New Orleans Pelicans at Staples Center. The Clippers won the game 120-100.
Davis came in averaging 25.2 points and scored a rather uneventful 26 as 10 of them came during a fourth quarter in which the Clippers played mostly reserves. He also grabbed only three rebounds and blocked just one shot; he came in averaging 11.5 rebounds and a league-best 3.06 blocks.
Griffin scored 30 points and had seven rebounds and five assists. Afterward, he said he was jazzed about the opportunity to go against Davis, a 21-year-old in just his third season.
“It is exciting any time you get to go up against a player of that type of caliber,” Griffin said. “He is an amazing player.”
Chris Paul is shooting a career-high 53.4 percent from the field/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers, NBA.com
– It was good to see sixth-man Jamal Crawford rebound from two off games offensively. He scored just four points in Monday’s 127-101 victory over Minnesota and just five in a 114-86 victory over Orlando on Wednesday. He was a combined 2-for-11 from the field in those two games, 0 of 8 from 3-point range. Crawford on Saturday scored 20 points on 6 of 11 from the field, 2 of 4 from beyond the arc. He also made all six of his free-throw attempts.
– The Clippers, in particular power forward Blake Griffin, did a good job of holding the Pelicans’ young superstar power forward Anthony Davis to 26 rather quiet points. Quiet because 10 of them came during a fourth quarter when the Clippers played mostly the second unit with the game pretty much in hand. Davis also had only three rebounds and one block. He entered averaging 11.5 rebounds and a league-leading 3.06 blocks.
– Chris Paul continued on his path to the best shooting season of his career. By making 7 of 13 from the field – 4 of 6 from 3-point range – he is now shooting a career-best 53.4 percent overall. He’s also shooting 44.8 (30 of 67) from 3-point range, easily his best. Paul is a career 47.4-percent shooter. His career percentage from beyond the arc is 36.1.
– The Clippers made 17 of 32 from 3-point range. That’s a percentage of 53.1. They now lead the NBA with a team 3-point shooting percentage of 39.1. Golden State is second at 38.4 with the Atlanta Hawks third at 37.8.
– DeAndre Jordan is continually improving his statistics after getting off to just a bit of a slow start in the rebounding and blocked shots departments. In going for 18 rebounds and five blocks in this victory, he is now averaging 12.2 rebounds (second in the league) and 2.53 blocks (third). He led the league in rebounding a season ago with a 13.6 average and was third in blocks with a 2.48 average.
Austin Rivers, son of Clippers coach Doc Rivers/Photo courtesy of New Orleans Pelicans, NBA.com
Coach Doc Rivers isn’t crazy about going against his son. But he’ll be doing just that when the Clippers on Saturday night at 7:30 play host to the New Orleans Pelicans at Staples Center (on Prime Ticket). Austin Rivers – a 6-foot-4 shooting guard – is in his third season with New Orleans.
“Well, it is what it is,” Rivers said at Friday morning’s practice. “It’s not anything I think anyone enjoys doing. He wants to win, I want to win and, you know, it’s tough. It’s tough for a parent. I never thought it would be. I thought it would be a lot of fun.”
Rivers found out during his final season coaching the Boston Celtics – his son’s rookie year with New Orleans – that was not the case.
“In Boston, when we did it the first time, I realized it’s really not a lot of fun,” Rivers said.
So, Rivers was asked, who does the Rivers family root for when father and son collide?
“Oh, for my son,” Rivers said, managing a laugh. “Yeah, that’s no doubt. The whole family, in that regard.”
Even the coach himself?
“No,” he said, with a sly smile.