Clippers’ Stellar Shooting Leads to Huge Road Win Against Thunder

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After starting the second part of the season in underwhelming fashion, Sunday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Chesapeake Energy Arena was one of the most important games of the year for the Clippers, as they looked to rectify their recent woes.

Jamal Crawford led the Clippers with 36 points, Chris Paul added 18 points and 12 assists, and Matt Barnes added 24 points, as the Clippers rose to the occasion late in the game to beat the Thunder in Oklahoma City.

1^st Quarter: Matt Barnes made three 3-pointers early in the game and led the Clippers with 11 points in the first.

Serge Ibaka made 5-of-7 field goals and the Thunder led 32-28 after the first quarter.

2^nd Quarter: Jamal Crawford was stellar from the field. He made six of eight shots and the Clippers led 72-66 at the half.

3^rd Quarter: The Clippers were much better taking care of the ball and were able to withstand a late surge by the Thunder and led going into the fourth.

Los Angeles led by as many as 15 late in the quarter, but Derek Fisher came in off the bench and made three quick 3-pointers to bring Oklahoma City back into the game.

A 3-pointer by Durant with 1.7 seconds left shortened the Clippers’ lead to 99-93 at the end of three quarters.

4^th Quarter: Blake Griffin fouled Reggie Jackson early in the fourth and went to the bench with five personal fouls.

Fisher continued to hurt the Clippers from behind the arch. He was wide open at the corner and made his fifth 3-pointer of the game to tie the game at 107 with 6:28 remaining.

Both teams exchanged baskets for the remainder of the quarter and no team led by more than four.

But a 3-pointer by Crawford with 1:30 remaining put the game out of reach for the Thunder for good.

Griffin added 20 points for Los Angeles, after sitting out a large portion of the fourth quarter with foul trouble.

Kevin Durant led all scorers with 42 points, and also had 10 assists.

The Takeaway: It should go without saying that, because they were 0-2 since the All-Star break, this is a huge road win for the Clippers—arguably their biggest road win yet.

The biggest keys for the Clippers offensively were their 3-point shooting (43%), free throw shooting (72 %), and limiting turnovers in the second half.

Without those three, it’s difficult to see the Clippers fending off the Thunder.

What’s Next?: The Clippers will travel to New Orleans to face the Pelicans tomorrow at 5 p.m. The game will be televised on Prime Ticket and can be heard on the radio on KFWB 980 AM.

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