The Los Angeles Clippers (25-13) needed overtime to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans (11-25) 114-111 Sunday at Staples Center.
Both teams came into this game missing an all-star. The Pelicans were without Anthony Davis who suffered a back contusion during their last game versus Indiana, when he dove into the crowd after a loose ball. Meanwhile, Blake Griffin has missed the last eight games with a partially torn quadricep. The Clips have managed to stay undefeated in their eight games without Griffin and have now won nine straight in total.
The Clippers were up by as many as 12 early in the fourth quarter but the Pelicans battled back to make it a two-point game with 2:56 to go. Both teams went scoreless from then until J.J Redick hit one of his two free throws, putting the Clippers up by one. New Orleans had the side-inbound and passed it in to Jrue Holiday near the opposing three-point line. Holiday immediately pulled up for a shot as he felt the defense all over him. Holiday was fouled and hit three free throws to tie the game and send it to OT.
It was a back and forth overtime period but Chris Paul and Wesley Johnson came up with some clutch shooting to put the game just out of reach and hand the Pelicans their third straight loss.
Paul finished the game with a graceful 25 points (10-18 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 2-4 FT), 11 assists and five rebounds, in 40 minutes. Six other players scored in double digits for the Clippers including Jamal Crawford, who dropped 21 (8-16 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 2-2 FT), along with three rebounds and two assists, in 31 minutes off the bench. DeAndre Jordan had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Wesley Johnson chipped in 15 points, five steals, four rebounds and two assists, in 33 minutes off the bench.
Jrue Holiday was huge for New Orleans as he filled it up with a game-high 29 points (11-27 FG), along with 11 rebounds, four assists, and three steals, in 33 minutes off the bench. Tyreke Evans was huge as well, with 26 points (9-19 FG), seven rebounds and seven assists, in 40 minutes. Ryan Anderson had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, in 42 minutes off the bench.
The Pelicans will stay in L.A. and wait to play the Lakers on Tuesday, while the Clippers will have a few days off before hosting Miami on Wednesday.
