A lot is made of the lob passes from Clippers point guard Chris Paul to center DeAndre Jordan that result in booming dunks by Jordan.
Well, the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday displayed their prowess in this regard on this rather beautiful play during OKC’s 119-117 victory over the visiting Clippers at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Check out the connection between Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook and forward Kevin Durant. That’s the Clippers’ Jeff Green on defense:
Jamal Crawford, center, of the Clippers shoots a 3-pointer during the Clippers’ 119-117 loss Thursday at Oklahoma City/AP photo by Alonzo Adams
– The Clippers rested starters Chris Paul, J.J. Redick and DeAndre Jordan and still nearly pulled off what would have been quite an upset had they emerged victorious at Chesapeake Energy Arena. That, alone, is impressive.
– The Clippers were close due in large part to the play of Jamal Crawford and Austin Rivers. They started at the guard spots for Redick and Paul and came through with 32 points apiece. Crawford also had seven assists and two steals. Rivers also had four rebounds, five assists and two steals. Crawford played 39 minutes and 57 seconds, Rivers played 39 minutes and 13 seconds. Rivers shot 7 of 9 from 3-point range.
– One has to wonder how the Clippers could get outrebounded 46-26 and still have a shot at winning the game. Well, it helps when you shoot extremely well. The Clippers shot 55.3 percent overall. More importantly, they went 16 of 29 from 3-point range, a tremendous 55.2 percent. By contrast, OKC shot just 31.2 percent (10 of 32) from beyond the arc.
– While the Clippers (47-28) were resting their stars, the Thunder (53-23) did not. Starters Kevin Durant (31 points), Russell Westrbrook (26) and Serge Ibaka (16) combined for 73 points. And the Clippers still almost beat them.
– By the time Thursday night was over, there was one very interesting item noted in the playoff standings. That would be sixth-place Portland now being just 1 1/2 games behind fifth-place Memphis in the Western Conference standings. If the Trail Blazers pass the Grizzlies, they will play the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs, which begin in about 2 1/2 weeks. Portland (40-36) has six games left in the regular season, Memphis (41-34) has seven.
Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City goes up for a shot during Wednesday’s game against the Clippers at Oklahoma City/AP photo by Sue Ogrocki
Russell Westbrook was one of the goats on March 2 when his Oklahoma City Thunder team led the L.A. Clippers by 17 points entering the fourth quarter of their game at Staples Center, before the Clippers came back and won by five (103-98).
Westbrook shot 0 of 6 in that final quarter, but he more than made up for that by coming through with a heck of a triple-double in OKC’s 120-108 victory over the Clippers on Wednesday in Oklahoma City. Westbrook had 25 points, 20 assists and 11 rebounds to become the first player since the Lakers’ Magic Johnson in 1988 to have a triple-double consisting of at least 25 points, 20 assists and 10 rebounds.
No one can take that away from Westbrook. But Clippers coach Doc Rivers and a couple of his key players intimated their lack of defense is why the Thunder won the game.
“I thought our defense overall from the tip was bad,” said Rivers, whose team plays host to the New York Knicks on Friday night at 7:30 at Staples Center. “One of the rare games where we just didn’t establish ourselves defensively, I thought it bled over to our offense so give them credit.
“I thought they moved the ball, they trusted their offense the entire game, made the extra passes, but I just thought we were horrible defensively tonight. It happens.”
Point guard Chris Paul concurred.
“We gave up 39 (points) the first quarter, 60-something (64) in the first half,” he said. “We just never impacted the game defensively. I feel like Russ (Westbrook) went wherever he wanted to go, and that’s on me. But we’ve got to be better.”
Shooting guard J.J. Redick gave his take.
“They played a great game,” he said post-game. “They played a great 48 minutes. Even when we would make a run, they would always respond. They got off to a great start – 39 points in the first quarter is unacceptable. We’ve been a good defensive team, but we were just awful tonight.”
All that said, Rivers made sure he gave Westbrook his due. Sort of, anyway.
“He was great,” Rivers said. “I mean, he didn’t have a lot of resistance, though, you know? We were sending him certain ways and there was nobody there to help. But he still has to do it and you can do half the league and play with wrong coverage and they still can’t get those numbers, so give Westbrook credit.”
Chris Paul, 3, of the Clippers passes the ball as he’s being hounded by Steven Adams and Russell Westbrook of the Thunder/AP photo by Sue Ogrocki
– Remember how OKC’s Russell Westbrook went 0-for-6 from the field during the fourth quarter of the Clippers’ 103-98 come-from-behind victory over the Thunder on March 2 at Staples Center? Westbrook sure did. He scored 25 points, doled out 20 assists and pulled down 11 rebounds in this rematch. He became the first to have a triple-double consisting of at least 25 points, 20 assists and 10 rebounds since the Lakers’ Magic Johnson did it in 1998.
– Coach Doc Rivers and starting guards Chris Paul and J.J. Redick all said that their team did not play well at all on defense. Rivers gave credit to Westbrook, but also intimated his team did not make it tough on him to do what he did. “He was great,” Rivers said. “I mean, he didn’t have a lot of resistance, though, you know?”
– Rivers had another interesting comment when asked about his team’s focus, or lack thereof. “Tonight, for whatever reason, I just didn’t feel like we had the right focus or spirit, or whatever, and I want to give them credit,” he said. “They were better prepared than us tonight and that’s on me.” It makes one wonder how the Clippers (41-22) could have been ill-prepared for a game of such magnitude. A victory would have pulled them within a half-game of the third-place Thunder (44-40) in the Western Conference standings. With the loss, the fourth-place Clippers are now 2 1/2 back of OKC.
– With forwards Blake Griffin and Luc Mbah a Moute both out, the Clippers were outrebounded 52-29. DeAndre Jordan went into the game averaging 14.1 rebounds, and he had a season-low seven. The last time Jordan had fewer than 10 rebounds was Jan. 22, when he had eight in a 116-88 victory at New York.
– One has to wonder how much longer coach Rivers is going to give Wes Johnson the green light – especially from distance. Johnson shot just 1 of 6 from the field in this one, 0 of 3 from 3-point range. Johnson over his past seven games has made just 5 of 29 from beyond the arc. That is 17.2 percent. Johnson is 14 of 59 overall during the same period for an absolutely woeful 23.7 percent. On the season, Johnson is shooting 39.9 percent overall, 32.3 percent from deep.
Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City goes up for a shot as Wes Johnson (33) and Austin Rivers (25) of the Clippers appear helpless do do anything about it during the Thunder’s 120-108 victory over the Clippers on Wednesday night in Oklahoma City/AP photo by Sue Ogrocki
Clippers coach Doc Rivers wasn’t pleased with his team’s defense in its 120-108 loss Wednesday night at Oklahoma City.
“I thought our defense overall from the tip was bad,” Rivers said. “One of the rare games where we just didn’t establish ourselves defensively. I thought it bled over to our offense, so give them credit. I thought they moved the ball, they trusted their offense the entire game, made the extra passes. But I just thought we were horrible defensively tonight. It happens.”
Point guard Chris Paul agreed.
“We gave up 39 (points) the first quarter,” he said. “Sixty-something (64) in the first half. We just never impacted the game defensively. I feel like Russ went wherever he wanted to go, and that’s on me. But we’ve got to be better.”
“Russ” is OKC point guard Russell Westbrook. He had 25 points, 20 assists and 11 rebounds. He became the first player to have a triple-double consisting of at least 25 points, 20 assists and 10 rebounds since Magic Johnson did it for the Lakers in 1988. He did have seven turnovers, but at the end of the day, they were of no consequence.
Perhaps even a better defensive effort would have been insufficient to slow a Westbrook who choked during the fourth quarter of the Clippers’ stunning comeback victory over the Thunder the previous Wednesday at Staples Center. OKC led by 17 entering the fourth quarter, but the Clippers won 103-98. Westbrook shot 0 of 6 in that fourth quarter.
For a guy who plays mad as it is, one can’t be surprised he came out with a vengeance in this one.
The third-place Thunder (44-20) now lead the Clippers (41-22) by 2 1/2 games in the Western Conference standings.
Jeff Green led the Clippers with 23 points on Wednesday at Oklahoma City/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers didn’t have a comeback in them this time. A week after they came from 17 points down after three quarters to earn a five-point victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center, the Clippers took on the Thunder on Wednesday night in Oklahoma City.
The Thunder led by 19 points with 6:35 to play and the Clippers quickly whittled six points off that to trail by 13. But OKC eventually prevailed 120-108 in the pivotal Western Conference game at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
The victory gave third-place OKC (44-20) some breathing room as it now leads the Clippers (41-22) by 2 1/2 games in the conference standings.
Jeff Green led the Clippers with 23 points on 10 of 13 shooting, J.J. Redick scored 22, DeAndre Jordan had 18 points but only seven rebounds – well below his season average of 14.1 – and Chris Paul had 12 points, 16 assists and five steals. Jamal Crawford led the reserves with 16 points and Cole Aldrich had 10 points and six rebounds.
The two-headed monster of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook was just mean. Durant had 30 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. Westbrook had 25 points, 20 assists and 11 rebounds. However, Westbrook did have seven turnovers and Durant committed six.
The Thunder outrebounded the Clippers by a whopping 52-29 count.