Clippers Demolish Lakers During First Encounter
The Los Angeles Clippers bested the city’s famed Lakers Monday night, defeating the gold and purple team in a 114-95 victory, while the Clippers’ brightest stars sat out the fourth quarter.
Despite the fact that newly acquired guards Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups rested during the fourth quarter, they set a precedent for the game during the first three. Billups managed to outscore the Lakers’ leading scorer, Kobe Bryant, by one point with 23 for the night.
Chris Paul also proved his worth as one of the league's most coveted free agents this season with 17 points, seven rebounds, nine assists and five steals. The Clippers’ big men also proved to be a force during the game with power forward Blake Griffin’s explosiveness resulting in a powerful dunk, which cost him a technical foul for lingering on the backboard too long.
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Despite his foul, Griffin contributed 12 points and five rebounds to his team. Clippers’ center DeAndre Jordan, who contributed the most blocks in the game with four, made a big play in the third that stopped the opposing Bryant.
Jordan blocked Bryant’s layup in the third, causing the five-time champion to crash to the floor and seemingly hurt his shooting hand. After playing for three minutes, Bryant was forced to sit on the bench during a period where the Clippers were able to extend an eight-point lead.
Aside from having to watch his team lose their grip on a win, Bryant has also been dealing with a divorce, along with a new coach to substitute the man who helped him win five championship rings and the loss of long-time teammate Lamar Odom. Still, things were not all bad for the Lakers on Monday night.
Bryant scored 22 points in 30 minutes, while big man Andrew Bynum added 15 points and 12 rebounds. Although Pau Gasol contributed 16 points, it was rookie point guard Darius Morris that put on a show with 11 points in 24 minutes of playing time.
Still, few could deny the power shift between one of the league’s favorite teams and the other team in Los Angeles city. Griffin could not contain his excitement for his new team.
“Going into every game, you hope for a game like that," he told the Los Angeles Times.
