~ (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
~ By Pearl Allison Lo
~ Los Angeles’ Montrezl Harrell had a season-high in points and rebounds as Sacramento endured a bigger drubbing than last Tuesday, 122-95.
The Clippers shot 55% from the field, compared to 41.7%, had almost double the amount of threes, and went to the line 27 times.
Harrell scored 22 points with eight rebounds. In the fourth quarter, he scored 12 points, got seven rebounds and went to the line four times.
The Kings meanwhile continued a WW-LL pattern. Sacramento’s opponents have scored over 100 points in the Kings’ last eight losses and Los Angeles has scored over 100 points in each of their last four games.
No one on the Kings scored over 10 points except for Willie Cauley-Stein. He had 17 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Lou Williams added 21 points for the Clippers, Milos Teodosic had a season-high 10 assists and teammate Austin Rivers was held to eight points. It was Rivers’ lowest total since he returned from a concussion, ending a four game double point streak.
Both were close in the beginning with 30 apiece in the first quarter, but then the discrepancy grew to 18 as scored Los Angeles scored 41 and Sacramento 23 in the second. The first half points allowed matched a season record for the Kings. Sacramento’s last lead came with 10:30 left in the second quarter.
In the second quarter, Milos Teodosic had six points and five assists while the Kings went to the free throw line five times. Starting with 7:26 left, the Clippers extended their lead to double digits with 11. Los Angeles’ Sam Dekker’s touch into the net with 5:05 left (also an 11 point difference) would be the closest the Kings got for the rest of the game.
Los Angeles stretched a 12-0 run in between the third and fourth quarters.
Sacramento’s Justin Jackson got the score to within 19 points after a three with 2:45 left to go, but then the Clippers scored the last eight points. Meanwhile, after the Kings’ Malachi Richardson was blocked by Willie Reed, Sacramento missed their last five shots with three attempts by Georgios Papagiannis.
Game notes: Sacramento plays the second of back-to-back games Tuesday at 7pm hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of a six-game homestand.
Two heavyweights face off: Zach Randolph and DeAndre Jordan photo: USA Today Sports
by Charlie O. Mallonee
Sacramento – The Sacramento Kings played great basketball for 36-minutes on Saturday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. Unfortunately for the Kings, the 12-minutes they did not play well in the third quarter cost them the game as they lost to LAC 97-95.
The Kings went on a 6-0 run with 1:20 remaining in the game to the tie the score at 95-95 with 15.6-seconds to go on the game clock. The Clippers called a timeout with 14.8-seconds to go to draw up a play.
The Clippers put the ball into the hands of their leading scorer Blake Griffin who made a fadeaway jump shot from the left side of the floor to give his team a two-point lead with 3.7-seconds remaining in the game. LAC head coach Doc Rivers would later say he was not happy because his team took that shot too early leaving the Kings too much time on the clock.
Buddy Hield put up a desperation floating jump shot at the buzzer but it was no good. The Clippers (7-11) won their second game in row downing the Kings (5-14) by just two points.
The 3rd Quarter was a nightmare for Sacramento
The Kings scored only 10 points in the third quarter versus the Clippers after posting 61 points in the first half. LAC came out with a defensive mindset and dominated SAC.
The Kings shot 45.8-percent for the game but shot only 21.1-percent (4-for-19) in the disastrous quarter. They converted 11-of-21 three-point attempts for the game but went 0-for-4 in the third quarter.
Sacramento had one assist while they turned the ball over eight times which resulted in seven points for the Clippers.
Ten Kings players saw action in the third quarter, but only four of them scored points. All 10 players had a minus number on their +/- stat for the quarter.
Blake Griffin and Lou Williams led the scoring for the Clippers with 12 points each. Los Angeles shot 55.6-percent (10-for-18) from the field and hit on 6-of-8 (75-percent) 3-point attempts in the third period.
The Kings outscored the Clippers in every quarter except the third when LAC recorded 29 points to just 10 for SAC.
Dave Joerger was not happy with the loss but he knows it is part of player development
#Kings head coach Dave Joerger was his usual level headed self after watching his team lose to #LAClippers 97-95 Saturday night in #SAC. #SacKings were in control of the 1st half but hit the wall in the 3rd qtr. In a year where wins have been scarce, this loss had to hurt. #NBApic.twitter.com/8aMmqGMgWT
Buddy Hield had an exceptional game for Sacramento coming off the bench scoring 27 points in just under 26-minutes of playing time. The second-year shooting guard hit 10-of-18 shots from the floor. Nine of those shots were taken behind the 3-point line and Hield hit seven of those attempts for 21 of his 27 points. His back-to-back 3-pointers in the last 1:20 of the game put the Kings in a position to possibly win the contest.
One of the criticisms of Hield coming out of Oklahoma was that he would not be able to convert the longer 3-point shot in the NBA. It certainly appears to have proved those critics were wrong. Hield has adjusted just fine to the deeper 3-point zone in “the Association”.
Zach Randolph drew the very tough assignment of matching up with Clippers big, tough center DeAndre Jordan. Not only did Z-Bo play Jordan tough – he held the center to five points. Jordan did haul in a game-high 16 rebounds. Z-Bo put up 17 points shooting 7-for-14 in the game. Randolph also added seven rebounds, three assists and one steal in his 30-plus minutes of playing time.
Bogdan Bogdanovic posted 10-points on Saturday night. He shot 50-percent hitting on 4-of-8 shots from the field. He was 1-for-2 from 3-point land.
George Hill also scored 10 points against the Clippers on Saturday night. He went 4-for-7 shooting from the floor and hit 1-of-2 attempts from 3-point territory. Hill also dished out three assists.
SAC had some impressive team numbers
The Kings shot 33-for-83 (45.8-percent) from the floor versus the Clippers. They shot an impressive 52.4-percent (11-for-21) from downtown. SAC converted 8-of-9 free throw opportunities (88.9-percent). The nine free throw attempts number is too low.
Sacramento recorded 37 rebounds (eight offensive) to go with 19 assists, nine steals and eight blocked shots. The Kings committed 18 turnovers which resulted in 15 Clipper points.
Doc Rivers was happy to see his team pick up its second consecutive win
#LAClippers HC Doc Rivers was happy with the way his team came out after halftime & played “lock-down” “D”. He said the more stops you make the more chances you have on offense. Doc wasn’t happy with Clips final shot because they took it too early leaving #Kings time to shoot. pic.twitter.com/InpViI8DwG
The veteran forward scored a game-high 33-points in his 38-plus minutes on the floor. Griffin shot 13-for-25 from the field but was just 2-for-7 from behind the 3-point line. He recorded five assists and had four rebounds.
Lou Williams scored 10 of his 18 points in the second-half. He shot 4-for-8 from the floor. All four of his baskets were 3-point buckets. His other six-points came two 2-point baskets and at the free throw line. Williams also posted five assists and had three steals.
Up Next
Sacramento
Life does not get any easier for the Kings as on Monday night they have to travel to the Bay Area to take on the Defending NBA World Champion Golden Warriors (15-5).
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers will also return to action on Monday night when they will host the guys who use the locker room on the other side of the Staples Center – the Los Angeles Lakers.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, knocks the ball lose from Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin, center, as he is defended by forward Draymond Green, right, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Oct. 30, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Kang)
by Jerry Feitelberg
Los Angeles – The Warriors played their best game of the year as they defeated the Clippers for the 11th straight time by a score of 141-113.
The Clippers lost guards Chris Paul, J.J. Redick, and sixth man Jamal Crawford in the offseason. They were replaced by Patrick Beverly, Danilo Gallinari, and Lou Williams. The Clippers had eleven new players on the roster for coach Doc Rivers, but the result was the same. They lost to the Warriors.
The first quarter was fairly competitive. The teams were tied 20-20 when the Warriors started to take charge. Shaun Livingston made the next bucket to make it 22-20, and the Warriors began to pull away. They increased the lead to six at the end of the period 34-28. Ja Vale McGee knocked down a couple of lobs, and the Warriors were now in control.
The Dubs scored forty points in the second quarter and led by 17 at the half. They were making all the shots as they were 60% from the floor. Everyone was playing well, and the team committed just four turnovers in the first 24 minutes. Steph Curry led the scoring with 16 points. Draymond had 13, Kevin Durant 14, and Klay Thompson had 11. The leading scorers for LA were Blake Griffin 10, Gallinari, 12, Beverly 6, DeAndre Jordan 6, Lou Williams 6, and Wesley Johnson 6. The score at the half was 74-57.
The Clippers went on a 10-2 run to start the second half. However, the Warriors regained their composure after the Clippers closed the deficit to just nine. The Warriors behind the stellar play of Steph Curry went on a 13-1 run near the end of the third quarter, and they finished the period with a twenty-one point lead 107-86.
The Warriors increased the lead to twenty-five 120-95 and then Coach Steve Kerr turned the game over to the bench. Jordan Bell, Patrick McCaw, Omri Casspi, Nick Young were on the floor with David West or Ja Vale McGee, and they coasted to the win. The final score was 141-113.
Game Notes and Stats – Steph led the Warriors with 31 points. Draymond Green had his best performance of the year with 16 points,6 assists, 9 rebounds, and one blocked shot. KD had 19, Klay added 15. Klay hit a three-point shot to extend his streak to 62 consecutive games. The bench performed well as they scored 54 points. Blake Griffin 16, Gallinari 19, Beverly 14, Jordan 10, and Lou Williams 17 were the Clippers scorers.
The Warriors recorded 37 assists and on defense had 46 rebounds, 8 steals, and 8 blocks. The Warriors made 14 three-point shots in 29 attempts and committed just 12 turnovers for the entire game.
The Warriors improve to 5-3 while LA drops to 4-2. The Warriors travel to San Antonio to face the Spurs Thursday night. Game time is at 5 pm.
Oakland- The Golden State Warriors, behind Steph Curry’ 43 point night, blew out the LA Clippers by 46 points 144-98. The Clippers were without their star guard Chris Paul, but even if he were able to play, there was no way to stop the Warriors on Saturday night.
The Clippers led 5-4 in the early going. That was the last time they would ever lead in the game. In the first quarter, Steph scored 12 and made two 3-point shots. They were ahead by 10 48-38 when they started to pull away from the Clips. Draymond Green made a sensational play on defense as he blocked a shot, then ran the court and took a pass and slammed in down to light up the crowd. The Dubs led by 18 69-51 near the end of the first half. Steph Curry sent the crowd into delirium when he hit a shot from half-court as the buzzer sounded to make it 72-51 after 24 minutes of play. Curry and Kevin Durant led the team with 18 each. Klay had 12.
The Warriors, who had a hard time in the third quarter against the Magic, Heat, and Hornets, returned to form and pounded the Clippers 45-23 in the period. Steph was on fire and seemed to make every shot he attempted. When the quarter ended, Steph had recorded 43 points and had made 9 3-point shots in just 34 minutes of playing time. The Dubs outscored the bewildered Clipper 45-23 and led 117-74 with 12 minutes left in the game.
Coach Steve Kerr pulled all his regulars from the game, Ian Clark, Patrick McCaw, Kevin Looney, James Michael McAdoo, and Anderson Varejao finished the game for Golden State. The Dubs’ bench outscored the Clippers’ bench 27-24. Dubs win 144-98.
Game Notes and Stats. The Warriors, with the win, improve to 40-7. The Clippers, in second place in the Pacific Division, fall to 30-18 and are 10.5 games behind the Warriors. Steph Curry’s line was 43 points, 6 assists, and 9 rebounds. Kevin Durant had another good game with 23 points,7 assists,4 boards and one blocked shot.Klay Thompson had 16, Draymond Green 5 points,5 assists, 5 rebounds, and two blocked shots. James Michael McAdoo had 10 points and four boards, Andre Iguodala had 9 points, 5 assists, and six rebounds. JaVale McGee scored 9 to go with 3 boards and 2 blocked shots.
The Clippers were led by Blake Griffin with 20, JJ Redick,13, Austin Rivers and Raymond Felton 10 each. The Warrior’s defense was superb again as they held DeAndre Jordan to 8 and super sub Jamal Crawford managed just 5. The Warriors controlled the boards 48-32, and they had 9 steals and 7 blocked shots. On offense, the Dubs shot a blistering 62% from the floor. They were 17-for-34 good for 50% on three-point attempts. They committed just 11 turnovers and forced the Clippers to turn the ball over 14 times.They made 57 shots from the floor and had 35 assists in the game.
The Dubs do not have long to savor the win as they play another back-to-back game Sunday night in Portland. The game will be on NBA TV, and it will start at 6 pm.
Sacramento — The Sacramento Kings had the unenviable job of trying to get back into the win column against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. The Clippers (25-14) came into the game winners of two consecutive games despite being short-handed due to injuries.
The Kings (15-21) literally went to battle with their rivals from Southern California but were unable to cross the finish line victorious losing 106-98.
Kings head coach Dave Joerger analyzed the game this way: “Good competitive basketball game. They’re a very talented team. They made more shots than we did. The lack of seeing the ball go in affected some of the other parts of out game. We had a tough stretch in the second quarter … they got some transition three’s. All in all good basketball game. The guys competed.”
When asked how his team is going to be able to beat teams like the Clippers in the future, Joerger responded, “They have just got to keep working and playing as hard as they can. Play at as high of a level as they can. There’s nothing to hang your head about. They (the Clippers) are one of the five best teams in the league.”
The Kings cut the Clippers lead to just two points, 100-98, with 56.2-seconds remaining in the game. After Sacramento turned the ball over on a bad pass by Cousins under the basket, the Kings had no choice but to foul the opposition. The Clippers went 6-for-6 from the free throw line in final seconds while Kings were unable to score.
Clippers head coach Doc Rivers said, “The resolve, I thought that we showed in the fourth quarter was just fantastic. I love it.”
Key players returned for both teams
The Kings had been without Rudy Gay for nine games due to a right hip flexor strain. Gay was able to return to the lineup on Friday night and made an immediate impact scoring nine points in the first quarter.
Gay went on to play 33-minutes scoring 18 points and adding seven rebounds for his team. He shot 7-for-17 for the game and was just 1-for-3 from beyond the 3-point line, but there was bound to be some rust to shake off after the extended layoff.
Chris Paul returned to action for the Clippers on Friday after missing four games Photo: NBAE
Chris Paul made his return to the floor for the Clippers in the game. The all-star point guard had been sidelined for four consecutive games due to a sore left hamstring. Paul played 31-minutes and recorded a double-double by scoring 14 points and dishing out 12 assists.
Paul’s head coach, Doc Rivers, thought his defense down the stretch was what made the difference in the game for the Clippers.
The teams traded controlling the flow of the game
The Kings and Clippers each controlled the flow of the game in very distinct ways on Friday night. Sacramento was very much in charge in the first quarter as they outscored LAC 29-19 and shot 50-percent from the field. They seemed determined, ready and not totally dependent on DeMarcus Cousins.
Sacramento ran into a real rough patch in the second period as the Clippers erased their 10-point lead in less than six minutes. Los Angeles outscored the Kings 34-12 in the quarter behind the 3-point shooting of Austin Rivers and JJ Redick. Sacramento shot just 15-percent (3-for-20) in the period. At the half, the Clippers led the Kings 53-41.
Based on their play in the second quarter, the Kings could have been completely out of the game early if they did not come out strong after halftime. They responded to that challenge and shot the lights out in the third quarter. Sacramento behind Cousins’ 11 points outpaced the Clippers 32-22 in the period. The Kings shot 63.2-percent (12-for-19) from the field and hit 4-of-8 3-point opportunities as they closed the LA lead to just two points, 75-73, after 36 minutes of play.
The talent and experience of the Clippers came into play in the fourth quarter as they scored 31 points to the Kings 25. LAC shot 50-percent (9-for-18) from the floor and 50-percent (5-of-10) from 3-point land plus they converted 8-of-9 free throws in the final period. Chris Paul led the Clippers scoring attack with seven points all from the free throw line.
The Kings struggled as they shot 9-for-24 (37.5-percent) from the field and 33.3-percent (3-for-9) from long range in the quarter. They hit 4-of-5 from the charity stripe.
The flow of most games is not usually as defined as it was in this game and is much more difficult to uncover. In this game, it was almost like there was a giant flashing arrow pointing out a change in the direction of the flow of the game.
Key Performers
Kings
Ty Lawson played strong for the Kings vs the Clippers Photo: NBAE
DeMarcus Cousins scored a game-high 25 points and made it a double-double game by grabbing 11 rebounds. Cousins spent much of the night on the high post in order to avoid foul trouble by battling with DeAndre Jordan and Luc Mbah a Moute.
Darren Collison was very productive playing the two-guard most of the game. He scored 20 points shooting 7-for-13 from the floor and hitting 3-of-6 from beyond the 3-point arc.
Ty Lawson put up 17 points while shooting 50-percent (6-for-12) from the floor. Lawson also distributed six assists from the point for the Kings.
Kosta Koufos played a diminished role with the change in rotation due to Gay’s return and the use of Collison and Lawson on the floor together. Dave Joerger praised Koufos for his professional attitude toward the changes. He scored seven points in 12-minutes of playing time. That was key playing time because it allowed DeMarcus Cousins to get very valuable rest.
Clippers
Austin Rivers scored 24 points for the Clippers against the Kings Photo: NBAE
Austin Rivers had another big game for LAC scoring 24 points in almost 36 minutes on the floor. Rivers hit 4-of-7 3-point shots.
DeAndre Jordan put up 20 points from the five spot on the floor. He was an incredible 9-for-10 on high percentage shots for the Clippers. Many of those shots were “slammed home with authority!”
JJ Redick did his job to perfection killing the Kings momentum with well timed field goals that totaled 19 points. Five of his six baskets were 3-point conversions.
Up next on the schedule
The Kings will return to action at home on Sunday night when they host the Golden State Warriors. Playing the Warriors is tough enough but now Golden State is going to come to Sacramento angry. The Warriors lost an overtime game at home to Memphis on Friday night. There were reports of anger between players spilling over in the locker room. Golden State will be determined not to lose two in a row.
The Clippers return to Los Angeles and will host the Miami Heat on Sunday at the Staples Center. The Heat lost to the Lakers 127-100 at Staples on Friday night. The Clippers have the opportunity to make it four consecutive wins in one week. That would be a nice way to kick off the new year.
DeMarcus Cousins scored 38 points against the Clippers in November Photo: NBAE
by Charlie O. Mallonee
Tale of the Tape
Sacramento Kings 15-20
8th place Western Conference – final Playoff slot if the season ended today
15.5 games behind 1st place Golden State
one-half game ahead of 9th place Portland
Home 7-8 Road 8-12
Last 10 games 6-4
Current Streak Lost 1
Los Angeles Clippers 24-14
4th place Western Conference
8.0 games behind 1st place Golden State
4.5 games behind 3rd place Houston
Home 13-6 Road 11-8
Last 10 games 4-6
Current streak Won 2
Results of last games played
Miami’s Tyler Johnson grabs the rebound Photo: NBAE
Sacramento
The Kings suffered an embarrassing loss on Wednesday night at home to the lowly Miami Heat 107-102. The Heat came into the game with an 10-26 record and team that has been decimated by injury. Miami was without Hassan Whiteside (retinal contusion) and Justise Winslow (right shoulder that requires season-ending surgery). The Kings were without Rudy Gay (hip flexor) and coming off a win on Tuesday night on the road in Denver. The situation certainly seemed to favor Sacramento on their home court despite the back-to-back scenario.
The Heat came out fast and full of energy while the Kings seemed sluggish. Miami scored 64 points in the first half while shooting 63-percent. The Kings fought their way back into the game in the second half by virtue of a 13-0 run at the end of the third quarter. Ultimately, the Kings ran out of gas and lost the game.
With games coming up with the Clippers, Warriors, Cavaliers and Thunder on this homestand, the game with Miami was one the Kings could not afford to lose. Now, they have to try and get healthy against the always tough Los Angeles Clippers.
LA Clippers
The Clippers have been hit hard by injuries. Point guard Chris Paul has been on the sidelines with hamstring problems and forward Blake Griffin is out due to “minor” knee surgery. The Clippers had to host the Memphis Grizzlies who played the Lakers in Staples Center on Tuesday losing 116-102. The Grizzlies were without JaMychal Green (maxilla fracture suffered in the Lakers game) and Mike Conley who was held out for rest after having missed games with a toe injury.
The Clippers were led by Austin Rivers who scored a game-high 28 points in 44-minutes on the floor. His coach and father Doc Rivers said they just could not take him off the floor. DeAndre Jordan posted a double-double putting up 18 points and grabbing 20 rebounds. JJ Redick punished the Grizzlies from outside scoring 19 points. Jamal Crawford came off the bench to add 22 points. LAC shot 50.7-percent from the field for the game and beat the Grizzlies 115-106.
The victory over Memphis was the second consecutive win for the Clippers who broke a six-game losing streak on Monday night with a win over Phoenix. Now, the Clippers will play in Sacramento looking to make in three wins in a row.
Last Meeting
The Clippers beat the Kings 121-115 in the first meeting of the year back in November at the Golden 1 Center. Sacramento was down by as many as 26 points in that game but made a big run at the Clippers in the fourth quarter to close within two points, 117-115, as the game neared the close. The Kings were not be able to score again and lost by six points.
DeMarcus Cousins scored 38 points, pulled down 13 rebounds and had seven assists for the Kings. Blake Griffin put up 29 points for the Clippers while JJ Redick scored 26 hitting 6-of-8 3-point shots.
Injury Update
Ty Lawson played against the Heat despite injury Photo: USA Today
The Kings have listed Rudy Gay as doubtful as the hip flexor continues to plague the talented forward. Doubtful means there is a 25-percent chance of Gay playing Friday night. As much as the Kings need him, do not count on see Rudy Gay in this game.
Guard Ty Lawson scored 15 points against the Heat despite having a sub conjunctival hemorrhage right/blurred vision (or as one talk show host called it “a broken face”). As a precaution Lawson is listed as questionable which means he is 50-50 to play on Friday.
The Clippers have Chris Paul listed as doubtful but Doc Rivers said that the decision will be based on the guard’s condition after a full workout on Thursday. Paul and the team have made no secret that they would like to their star return to action on Friday night in Sacramento.
Blake Griffin (knee surgery) and Brice Johnson (herniated disc, lower back) are out and will not play.
What do the teams need to do to win
Kings
Sacramento needs to shoot well from midrange and from beyond the arc. The Kings are capable of shooting well from the floor. They shot better than 50-percent in the loss to Miami on Wednesday. Strong shooting performances from Barnes, Collison, Tolliver, Temple, Afflalo and Lawson – if he is able to go – will be necessary to help take the pressure off DeMarcus Cousins.
The Kings will also need a big night on the boards from DeMarcus Cousins. DeAndre Jordan will grabbing rebounds without abandon for the Clippers, the Kings will need Cousins to do the same for them.
The Kings defense will also need to concentrate on shutting down the 3-point shooting of the Clippers. JJ Redick will take every opportunity given to him to heave up a 3-pointer. This is a weak point for the Kings. They need to work hard on stopping the 3-point shots on Friday night.
Clippers
LAC needs to shoot from beyond the arc until it hurts. This has been the Achilles heal of the Kings all season long. JJ Redick is a shooting guard who can destroy a team from 3-point land. He needs to establish that dominance early and often against the Kings on Friday night.
The Clippers will need a strong defensive performance from Luc Mbah a Moute and DeAndre Jordan to contain DeMarcus Cousins if they are to beat the Kings. If you stop Cousins, you stop the Kings. The problem is – it may take more than two players to stop Cousins.
Los Angeles could really use the presence of point guard of Chris Paul on Friday night. The Kings are going to play angry after losing to Miami on Wednesday night. Having the incredible skills of the all-star point guard to counteract that anger would really benefit the Clippers.
What do the experts predict?
FiveThirtyEight.com says this game will go to the Clippers. They give the Clippers a 54-percent chance of winning the game. FiveThirtyEight.com says to take LAC minus one point.
The Desert Dwellers either have no idea how to call this game or do not care about the game because as of 7 a.m. PST Friday no odds or over/under had been posted for this contest.
Complete postgame coverage tonight on sportsradioservice.com. Listen to the Kings podcast every Tuesday with Charlie O.
The Clippers are now 6-0 on the road but they almost blew this win
The Los Angeles Clippers improved their record to 11-2 on the season with a 121-115 win over the Kings in Sacramento on Friday night. At one point in the first half, Los Angeles had a 26-point lead. They held a 19-point lead after three quarters were in the books.
The Kings outscored the Clippers 30-17 in fourth quarter led by Matt Barnes and his 10 points that came from his perfect 3-for-3 shooting from beyond the 3-point line. DeMarcus Cousins added seven points, Ty Lawson put up five, Garrett Temple four, Anthony Tolliver three and Rudy Gay one point.
Sacramento cut the Clippers lead to two points with 2:04 to go in the game, but that was as close as they would come to retaking the lead. Los Angeles scored the final four points of the game on a dunk by DeAndre Jordan and two free throws from Chris Paul.
The Kings changed the the lineup in the third quarter which changed the game
Dave Joerger went “small” to start the second half moving Cousins to center, keeping Gay at forward and starting three guards – Lawson, Afflalo and Collison. Joerger felt the lineup change had a profound affect on his team’s pick and roll execution. He also felt the defense improved.
The Kings team shooting percentage improved to 52.9-percent (9-for-17) in the third period as they scored 31 points.
The Clippers scored 31 points as well but their shooting percentage fell to 42.9-percent as the Kings tightened up their defense.
Los Angeles still had a 19 point lead – 104 to 85 – at the end of three quarters.
Ty Lawson Photo: Rocky Widner NBAE
The Clippers started the game on fire
Los Angeles started the game aggressively with Blake Griffin scoring 15 points and J.J. Redick adding 14 of his own. Griffin went to the free throw line eight times and converted seven times. Redick was a perfect 4-for-4 from 3-point land. The Clippers shot 70-percent as a team in the first quarter.
The Clippers put up 33 points in the second quarter paced by the 20 points scored by the second unit coming off the bench. Paul Pierce – who has been used sparingly – even made an appearance scoring six points. As a team, they shot 70.6-percent from the floor and 85.7-percent (6-for-7) from 3-point range.
The Kings improved their lot in the second period by scoring 30 points. DeMarcus Cousins scored 15 points in seven minutes on the floor to keep the game relatively close.
The Clippers held a 19 point lead – 73 to 54 – over the Kings at the half.
To no one’s surprise Cousins had another monster game
The Kings superstar scored 38 points in 36 minutes of playing time on Friday night. He also posted another double-double as he pulled down 13 rebounds in the game. The amazing big man also had seven assists and three steals.
DeMarcus Cousins Photo: Rocky Widner NBAE
Lawson, Collison and Barnes also came up big
Ty Lawson played 36-minutes against the Clippers and scored 18 points, dished out eight assists and hauled in seven rebounds. His point guard counterpart – Darren Collison – played 32-minutes putting up 16 points shooting 7-for-11 (one 3-pointer) from the floor.
Matt Barnes came off the bench and played 30-minutes for the Kings scoring 15 points and recording seven rebounds. He shot 5-for-10 from the field and 4-for-6 from beyond the 3-point arc.
Coach Dave Joerger on the Kings performance
“I was proud of our guys. We came out and battled and got after it and we competed. I thought we had a lot of open shots – didn’t knock some down that could’ve really put it over the edge there late in the third quarter and then into the fourth quarter. But we didn’t put out heads down. We competed and I’m really proud of guys tonight.”
The Kings are going to go small
“I’m going to play small,” declared Kings head coach Dave Joerger after the game. “DeMarcus (Cousins) is going to play center. I don’t know who else is going to play with him. It just gives us more zip, more life, more experience. That’s not any detriment to anyone else for what they’ve done. Of course in four or five games, I’ll probably go back.”
It was the usual suspects doing the job for the Clippers on Friday night
Blake Griffin was the Clippers leading scorer with 29 points. He shot 7-for-15 from floor and was an impressive 15-of-16 from the free throw line.
J.J. Redick made rain like usual. 18 of his 26 points came off 3-point baskets. He was 6-for-8 from long range.
DeAndre Jordan posted a double-double scoring 16 points and hauling in 12 rebounds. His free throw shooting did not come into play as the big man did not go to the foul line once in the game.
Chris Paul also had a double-double for the Clippers. The star point guard put up 11 points and handed out 12 assists.
Austin Rivers was the key man off the bench for LAC adding 12 points and four assists.
Clippers coach Doc Rivers on how the Kings got back into the game
“Us! I thought that was more us. I give them credit. Coach (Joerger) went small and they got more patient in the game. They scored every time down it felt like and then we stopped offensively. We (started) going in North Carolina four corner stall, I felt like. You’re always happy to win the game, but we want to be better that … First half was beautiful basketball. It was a clinic; you couldn’t have played any better. Defensively is where it started and then in the second half we decided we were going to trade baskets with them.”
DeAndre Jordan dunks the ball Photo: Rocky Widner NBAE
What’s coming up
The Clippers flew back to Los Angeles where they will host the Chicago Bulls (8-4) on Saturday night at the Staples Center.
The Kings will host the Toronto Raptors (8-4) on Sunday night at 6:00 PM at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
Chris Paul vs Memphis Photo: NBAE via Getty Images
Los Angeles Clippers (10-2)
Clippers looking to rebound from second loss of season
LAC (10-2) lost just their second game of the season on Wednesday night to the Memphis Grizzlies 111-107 on their homecourt in Los Angeles. The Grizzlies Marc Gasol hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 14 seconds left in the game to lead Memphis to the win.
J.J. Redick was the Clippers leading scorer putting up 29 points. DeAndre Jordan grabbed 14 rebounds. LAC shot 45.7-percent from the floor (37-for-81) and 9-for-25 (36.0-percent) from 3-point land. DeAndre Jordan went 0-for-2 from the free throw line.
Team Leaders for the Clippers
Forward Blake Griffin leads LAC in scoring with 20.6 points per game
DeAndre Jordan is the leader in shooting percentage at 57.8-percent with most of his scoring coming in the paint near the basket
Jordan is also the rebounding leader at 12.8 per game (3.8 offensive rebounds ppg)
Chris Paul dishes out an average of 8.3 assists per game
When it comes to 3-pointers, Paul and J.J. Redick average hitting 2.3 long shots per game each
As a team, the Clippers average 108.7 per game – fourth best in the NBA
The Clippers defense has held their opponents to just 93.8 points per game – number one in the NBA – this team not only can score, they can play defense
Does “hack-a-Jordan” still work?
DeAndre Jordan is shooting 44.0-percent from the free throw line so far this year, so it’s worth a try.
DeAndre Jordan checks the scoreboard Photo: NBAE via Getty Images
How do you beat the Clippers?
The Grizzlies beat LAC by doubling the number of 3-pointers they hit. Memphis hit 15 from downtown to just nine for the Clippers
Memphis also outrebounded Los Angeles 43-35
This is the front end of a back-to-back for the Clippers
The Clippers have to go home after the game on Friday night and host the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.
Probable starters for the Clippers
Forward Luc Mbah a Moute 5.8 ppg
Forward Blake Griffin 20.6 ppg
Center DeAndre Jordan 10.3 ppg
Guard J.J. Redick 14.6 ppg
Guard Chris Paul 18.3 ppg
Sacramento Kings (4-8)
Cousins battling under the basket Photo: Rocky Widner/NBAE
Game two of five at home
The Kings lost the opening game of the homestand to San Antonio 110-105. Now, they have to play the team with the best record in the NBA – the Los Angeles Clippers are who 10-2 on the season.
The Kings have lost three consecutive games
The Kings (4-8) have already experienced a four-game losing streak on the long road trip that featured five games in seven nights. The team would like to avoid matching that losing streak but that is going to be a tough task against a team like the Clippers who are playing so well on both ends of the floor.
Kings must play solid defense against the Clippers
The Clippers are just too strong of a scoring team to get into a shootout with in the game. If you do, you are going to lose. The Kings must slow the game down and play solid, hard nosed defense. They must decide who they are going to shutdown. Will they go after Griffin or Chris Paul? Sacramento has to make one of those players ineffective in order to have a chance to win.
Sacramento needs a third scorer to step up
The Kings have been dependent on DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay to carry the load when it comes to scoring. The Clippers are too strong of a team on defense for the Kings to have just two scoring options. The Kings need a third player to produce tonight – preferably a guard who might be able to hit some 3-pointers.
Last year versus the Clippers
The Kings were 1-3 versus the Clippers in 2015-16. Their lone win came in January 2016 at Staples Center when six Kings players scored in double figures.
How deep will the rotation go?
There had been rumors that Dave Joerger was going to shorten the rotation on his bench and then he used 10 players against San Antonio. Only Omri Casspi and Anthony Tolliver did not see the floor versus the Spurs. Will the same be true against the Clippers tonight?
Probable starters
Forward Rudy Gay 21.3 ppg
Forward DeMarcus Cousins 26.6 ppg
Center Kosta Koufos 5.3 ppg
Guard Aaron Afflalo 9.6 ppg
Guard Ty Lawson 5.4 ppg
Ty Lawson probable starter Photo: Rocky Widner/NBAE
For Entertainment Purposes Only
FiveThirtyEight.com predicts the Clippers have a 69-percent change of winning the game to just a 31-percent chance for the hometown Kings. FiveThirtyEight says take the Clippers minus five points.
Other sites from that desert town in Nevada project an over/under of 204.5 points. They favor the Clippers minus 8.0 to 8.5 points.
Kings have no time to rest as it’s time to finish a back-to-back
The NBA schedule can be a very cruel mistress when comes to needing to respond to a devastating loss like the Kings had at the hands of the upstart LA Lakers on Thursday night in Sacramento. In this case, they have to head out on the road to Portland to finish a back-to-back schedule with Trail Blazers (5-4).
Percentages on back-to-backs aren’t good
About 32-percent of the back-to-back games in the NBA are home/road sets like the Kings have with the Lakers last night in Sacramento and the Trail Blazers in Portland tonight.
The average winning percentages for the visiting team in the second game on the road is 37.3-percent. The visiting team is usually given about a 40-percent chance of winning on the road in the NBA, so the chances of winning are lower. Of course, there are many variables that play into those figures.
FiveThirtyEight.com (I use them because they have no gambling establishment interest to please) projects the Kings have only an 18-percent chance of pulling off a win tonight over the Blazers. The fact that it is the back end of a back-to-back set on the road versus a team that has a 74-percent chance of making the playoffs has a lot do with the prediction
Blazers are coming off a loss
Portland lost to the Clippers in Los Angeles on Wednesday night 111-80. LAC led by 20 after the first quarter and led by as many as 48 points in the second half. Damian Lillard was held to eight points shooting just 1-for-10 and hitting no 3-pointers in the game. If Lillard has a bad game, the Blazers are going to have a bad game.
This is a Tier 3 team visiting a Tier 2 team
Sacramento is a Tier 3 team – they will not make the playoffs and will be in the 2017 Draft Lottery. The Trail Blazers are a Tier 2 team – there is a high probability they will make the playoffs and may possibly go to the second round.
Who to watch in tonight’s game
For the Kings, you have to focus on DeMarcus Cousins. The big man scored no points in the third quarter of last night’s game with the Lakers and that is when the contest got away from the Kings. Sacramento needs Cousins to come out energized and ready to be productive in all four quarters if they are to have any chance against the Blazers.
It is really a one-man watch for Portland. Damian Lillard needs to comeback and take charge in this game versus the Kings. He averages 30 points per game. The Blazers must have that scoring production from their star guard or it could be a long night.
For entertainment purposes only
The prognosticators have made the Trail Blazers the favorites in this game minus 6.5 to 9 points (FiveThirtyEight.com calls the -9 & remember they are not tied to a book). The over/under ranges from 208 to 208.5. The Kings need that number to be at 196 to 200 to really be competitive in this game.
Sports Radio Service 