The Sports Xchange
Dec 27, 2017
LOS ANGELES -- Montrezl Harrell scored 22 points Tuesday night and Lou Williams added 21 as the Los Angeles Clippers' bench helped power a 122-95 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
The Clippers' bench outscored the Kings' reserves 72-43.
Los Angeles rookie Jamil Wilson started and scored a career-high 17 points, 14 of which came in the first quarter.
DeAndre Jordan added 13 points and 15 rebounds as the Clippers (14-19) won for the third time in their past four games.
Willie Cauley-Stein had 17 points and seven rebounds for the Kings, who had their two-game road winning streak end. Buddy Hield and Malachi Richardson each added 10 points for Sacramento (11-22).
The Clippers took control of the game in the second quarter and never looked back, outscoring the Kings 41-23 in the period.
The Clippers shot 61 percent from the field in the opening two quarters and 55 percent for the game. The Kings shot 44.4 percent before halftime and 41.7 percent for the game.
Wilson had his season high in points before the first 12 minutes of the game had lapsed. His previous best of 13 points came Dec. 18 at San Antonio. Overall, he went 5 of 7 from 3-point range and 6 of 9 overall from the field.
After starting the season 1-9 in road games, the Kings had been much more improved away from home, winning five of their next nine. However, that trend did not hold in their first visit to Staples Center this season.
The Kings did match a season high with 19 fastbreak points.
Los Angeles' victory came at the start of a stretch in which the Clippers will play seven consecutive games at Staples Center. One of those will be as the visiting team Friday against the Lakers.
NOTES: Clippers F Blake Griffin could return from his sprained left knee as early as Friday's game against the Lakers, coach Doc Rivers said. That would be far ahead of schedule from the original timetable that had Griffin back on the court in late January after his late November injury. ... Clippers F Wesley Johnson, who missed his fifth game with left foot soreness, is on track to return Friday against the Lakers, Rivers said. ... With just nine points and five rebounds against the Clippers, Kings F Zach Randolph saw his run of at least 10 points and five rebounds end at 15 consecutive games. ... Kings F Vince Carter had his status upgraded to "probable" after missing the Saturday game with strained ribs, but he did not play despite the efforts from the Staples Center crowd of 16,693, which chanted his name periodically.