Field Level Media
Jan 28, 2018
Blake Griffin scored 27 points and the Los Angeles Clippers overcame a 21-point deficit to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans, 112-103, on Sunday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
Lou Williams added 22 points, Tyrone Wallace scored 19, DeAndre Jordan had 12 points and 19 rebounds and Milos Teodosic scored 12.
Anthony Davis had 25 points and 17 rebounds to lead New Orleans, which saw its season-best four-game winning streak end in its first game without All-Star forward DeMarcus Cousins, who suffered a season-ending ruptured Achilles against Houston on Friday. Jrue Holiday scored 20 and E'Twaun Moore had 18.
New Orleans led by 11 at halftime, but Los Angeles started the third quarter with a 14-4 run and pulled within 66-65.
The Clippers got within a point twice more before Williams' 3-pointer gave them their first lead of the game, 72-70.
Griffin scored Los Angeles ' final six points of the period as the Clippers took an 80-77 lead after three quarters.
Montrezl Harrell scored five points as Los Angeles extended the lead to 94-83.
New Orleans got within five, but Griffin answered with a 3-pointer. It got within six, but Williams answered with a jumper.
The Pelicans got within four, but Jordan answered with a put-back. Davis made a free throw and Moore hit a jumper to cut the lead to 105-102 with 1:40 left.
After a Clippers turnover, Davis slipped and lost the ball out of bounds. Griffin's 3-pointer gave Los Angeles a 108-102 lead with 42 seconds left and Wallace added four free throws.
Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said it will take a group effort to replace Cousins' 26 points and 13 rebounds per game. His team got off to a good start as all five starters scored between four and nine first-quarter points and two reserves threw in two points each as New Orleans took a 34-26 lead after the first period.
Davis scored just six first-half points, but the Pelicans still led by 21 on their way to a 62-51 halftime lead as Moore scored 13 and Holiday had 11 points.
--Field Level Media