Clippers Throttle Cellar-Dwelling Bucks in Trip Finale

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The Clippers entered the final game of a seven-game road trip against the Milwaukee Bucks facing not only the team with the NBA’s worst record, but a team with a 1-11 record in January who are sitting in pole position for the much-coveted number one pick in this year’s NBA Draft.

Jamal Crawford had 25 points and DeAndre Jordan had 18 rebounds in a game that was never really in question, as the Clippers beat the Bucks 114-86.

1st Quarter: The Clippers continued their great first quarter scoring.

They scored 32 points in the first and made 3-of-6 from 3-point range.

Los Angeles led Milwaukee 32-25 after one.

2nd Quarter: The Clippers put it on overdrive in the second part of the quarter.

They outscored the Bucks 17-0 in fast break points and went into the break leading 64-41.

Jamal Crawford and Blake Griffin led all scorers with 15 points each.

3rd Quarter: The Clippers extended their lead to as many as 26 points in the third.

Milwaukee had a brief run where they cut into Los Angeles’ lead, but fast break opportunities were all the Clippers needed to put the game away for good.

4th Quarter: The Clippers’ starters went to the bench for the entire fourth, as the outcome of the game had long been decided.

The Takeaway: There’s only so much you could take away when you’re playing the worst team in the league, but free throws are virtually the only stat that translates from opponent to opponent, and the Clippers have been much improved in that department as of late.

They came in shooting 73%, good for 25th in the league.

During this seven-game trip they shot 77% and their struggles have been more sporadic.

Although an improvement of four percentage points may not seem like much, the Clippers’ inability to make free throws has changed the dynamic of their offense in the past two playoffs, specifically in crunch time.

This will be great news going forward if they can keep it up.

Griffin, who’s averaged 22.8 points and 11.8 rebounds against Milwaukee prior to tonight, scored 20 points in three quarters before calling it a night early.

What’s Next?: The Clippers return home for the first time since January 15, where they’ll host the 21-22 Washington Wizards at 7:30 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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