Rowan Kavner
LOS ANGELES – The element of surprise is the toughest to prepare for.
Magic coach Scott Skiles coached Jamal Crawford in Chicago, and he knows sometimes there’s nothing a defense can do when he catches fire.
With Chris Paul and J.J. Redick both out, that’s exactly what happened for Crawford against his former coach, scoring 16 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter of a two-point Clippers comeback win.
“He could have a huge night on anyone, even if you’re playing pretty good defense,” Skiles said before the game. “Jamal’s a very dangerous player. He’s got a lot of moves. He’s got a jumper, floaters, can get fouled. You can’t foul him behind the 3-point line, seems like he always makes those and gets four-point plays.”
Crawford would go on to add to his NBA record with his 43rd career four-point play in the second quarter, but that was only a sign of things to come for the shooting guard, who came into the night confident his recent shooting woes would only be temporary.
Head coach Doc Rivers said he was happy to see Crawford shoot a good percentage, and he felt Crawford made a concerted effort to take more balanced shots. The stat sheet reflected as much, as Crawford went 10-for-19 and 6-for-9 from 3-point range.
Together with Wesley Johnson, the duo combined to go 12-for-21 from long distance.
Admittedly, balance was a goal coming into the night for Crawford, who started at shooting guard. Crawford said as he went through a rough stretch, he would still shoot on his off days and look and feel fine.
He noticed two things in games he was doing too much.
“I was unbalanced a lot more,” Crawford said. “Tonight, Sam Cassell pulled me aside and told me the percentages of being balanced and not.
“And then, just thinking too much. My teammates and coaches hate when I play with hesitation. That way, you’re kind of blocking your own shot. It may not look like it just watching, but I know it, like, ‘OK, I’m 1-for-5 now, don’t shoot this.’ You can’t worry about it and just play. I’ve been doing this my whole life.”
It looked that way Friday night, as Crawford set a season high with six made 3-pointers. He saved his best for the most important stretch, as his 16 fourth-quarter points marked his most points in a quarter this season.
“I’m sure every scorer at some point goes through a rough shooting patch, it’s kind of part of the deal,” Crawford said. “But I think how you come back from that shows a lot about your character. But it’s not just me, it’s a total team effort.”
Crawford said the entire team showed character, going down double digits midway through the fourth quarter before a 13-0 run sparked by Blake Griffin and Crawford, who reeled off seven straight points to turn a 96-92 deficit into a 99-96 lead.
They wouldn’t lose the lead again, as Crawford put together his second 30-plus point performance of the season. His previous one against Detroit also came when Paul and Redick were out.
“You need a night like that from Jamal, from Wes,” Griffin said. “(DeAndre Jordan) played great. A lot of guys stepped up, played big. Austin (Rivers) had some great defensive stops down the stretch or at least made it tough for guys.”
Asked whether the strong shooting night was a sigh of relief for Crawford, he responded by saying the sigh of relief is in the victory, which sends the Clippers on a high note into their five-game road trip.
