Clippers (21-13), Pelicans (10-22) After a back-and-forth final quarter on New Year’s Eve, Los Angeles came up with more big plays in crunch time, pulling out a victory late over New Orleans. The Clippers led by as many as 11 points early in the fourth period, but the Pelicans surged back to take the lead 87-86 with 1:48 left, on a Tyreke Evans three-point play. New Orleans only managed two points after that, however. Los Angeles finished off a long road trip by scoring the game’s final five points, including a Jamal Crawford mid-range jumper and three free throws. It was 90-89 when NOLA’s Jrue Holiday canned a jumper with 53 ticks left. IT WAS OVER WHEN…New Orleans had a critical turnover and couldn’t get many clean looks at the rim in its final few possessions, enabling Los Angeles to finally take control. Chris Paul sank a pair of foul shots with 20 seconds remaining, making it a two-possession margin at 94-89.
