The Los Angeles Clippers are beginning to find their form after a mediocre start.

Chris Paul had 26 points with 12 assists, Blake Griffin also scored 26 and the Clippers cruised to a 110-93 victory over the Miami Heat on Thursday.

“We’re doing what we’re supposed to do,” Paul said.

The Clippers blew out the Heat much the same way they did their Florida neighbours Orlando Magic, 114-90, just 24 hours earlier to kick off a seven-game road trip.

“We’re starting to find our way,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said.

“It’s a pretty complete game.”

JJ Redick hit four triples en route to 14 points, DeAndre Jordan had 12 points with 11 rebounds for the Clippers (7-4), who shot a sizzling 56 per cent from the field and had 31 assists on 35 baskets en route to the wire-to-wire beat-down.

“We carried it over from last game with our defence and ball movement,” Clippers forward Matt Barnes said. “When we move the ball and don’t play one-on-one, we’re a hard team to stop.”

Added Barnes: “This road trip is going to bring us together. It’s what we need right now.”

The Clippers put the game away early with crisp passing that led to easy layups, dunks and wide-open three-pointers to take a 39-15 lead after the opening quarter.

“The ball movement in the first quarter was beautiful,” Rivers said.

But Rivers pointed out it was the defence that triggered the offensive explosion.

“We kept getting defensive stops and it allowed us to play the way we like to play,” said Rivers referring to the up-tempo style.

Comfortably ahead, 58-40 at the break, the Clippers opened up a 26-point cushion after intermission and coasted home with their first win in the last six visits to Miami since March 10, 2008.

“We caught a team without (Dwyane) Wade and did what we should have done,” Rivers said. “Now we have five more (games) on this trip. We know what we need to do. We just have to play consistent.”

Chris Bosh scored 28 points and rookie guard Shabazz Napier added a season-best 17 for struggling Miami (6-6), losers in four of its last five contests. Wade sat out his fourth straight game with a left hamstring strain.

“Not a whole lot to say,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said afterward.  “That was a blitz in that first quarter. They absolutely knocked us on our heels and we just could never gain our footing after that.

“They got into an incredible rhythm where they were able to get everything. I think we just ran into a buzz-saw.”

 

Sacramento Kings 103, Chicago Bulls 88: DeMarcus Cousins collected 22 points with 14 rebounds and the Kings sent the short-handed Bulls to their first road loss of the season after opening with six straight wins.

Rudy Gay netted 20 points while Darren Collison had 17 with 12 assists for Sacramento (7-5), which won for just the second time in the last six outings.

Jimmy Butler scored a game-high 23 points for Chicago (8-4), playing again without injured stars Derrick Rose (left hamstring strain) and Spaniard Pau Gasol (left calf strain).

 


 

Related Story