The Sports Xchange
Nov 22, 2017
ATLANTA -- The Los Angeles Clippers had three players score 20 points, including a season-high 24 from Wesley Johnson, and ended their nine-game losing streak with a 116-103 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday at Philips Arena.
Blake Griffin scored 26 and Atlanta native Lou Williams added 20 for the Clippers (6-11), who won for the first time since Nov. 1.
Johnson entered the game averaging only 6.8 points, but shot 8 for 10 from the field and matched his career-best with six 3-pointers. Griffin was 9-for-19 from the field and add 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Williams had 20 points and eight assists and Austin Rivers scored 18.
Atlanta (3-15) got 20 points from Marco Belinelli, 16 in the first half, and 19 points and seven assists from Dennis Schroder. Dewayne Dedmon scored 17, Kent Bazemore scored 14 and rookie John Collins had 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The Clippers opened the fourth quarter with a 13-2 run, and Atlanta never got closer than five points. It was the third straight loss for Atlanta.
Los Angeles led by as many as seven points in the first quarter before Belinelli shot them back into the game. The veteran was 5-for-5 from the field and scored 11 points in the opening period, which the Hawks led 30-29.
Atlanta led by as many as six points in the second, but the Clippers hung tough behind the outside shooting of Johnson, who made three 3-pointers and scored 15 points in the half. The Hawks led 63-62 at halftime, with Belinelli scoring 16.
Atlanta used back-to-back 3-pointers from Bazemore and Schroder to take a 76-69 lead with 7:48 left in the third quarter. But the Clippers outscored Atlanta 19-8 and led 88-84 after three quarters.
NOTES: Los Angeles PG Patrick Beverly had season-ending microfracture surgery to repair his right meniscus on Tuesday night. Beverly had missed five straight games with the knee trouble, but came back to play in Monday's game at New York. Beverly, in his first season with the Clippers after spending five years in Houston, was averaging 12.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists. ... Atlanta rookie C John Collins got the first start of his career. The Hawks were without F Mike Muscala, who missed his ninth game with a sprained left ankle. They recalled PG Josh Magette from the G League, where he was averaging 11 assists. ... The Clippers remained in Atlanta and will celebrate Thanksgiving as a team before flying to Sacramento, where they play on Saturday. ... The Hawks play Friday at home against New York.