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 Now Rivers is finding out just how good his star point guard is.
"He does things even better than I thought," Rivers said after
Paul's 25-point, 13-assist performance Monday in the Clippers' 94-83
victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. "He makes me smart, that's for
sure."
Forward Blake Griffin topped the Clippers with 26 points, and Paul
had 12 points and five assists in the pivotal third quarter, when
Los Angeles led by as many as 21.
Center DeAndre Jordan added 11 points and a season-high 21 rebounds
for the Clippers, who limited Philadelphia to a season-low point
total on 35.9 percent shooting from the floor.
Guard/forward Evan Turner scored 25 points to lead Philadelphia,
which is 0-3 since losing rookie point guard Michael Carter-Williams
to a skin infection on the front of his right knee. Overall, the
Sixers (7-15) are 1-7 this season without Carter-Williams. They lost
for the seventh time in eight games.
The Clippers, 2-2 over the first four games of a seven-game road
trip, reeled off the first 13 points of the third quarter to extend
a 44-36 lead to 57-36. Paul assisted on four baskets in that
stretch, including 3-pointers by forward Jared Dudley and guard
Willie Green.
Los Angeles (14-8) enjoyed a 76-60 advantage at the end of the
period. The Sixers drew no closer than seven in the final quarter,
the last time at 90-83. Griffin drew an offensive foul from
Philadelphia forward Hollis Thompson with 1:32 left, and Paul coaxed
in a jumper. Jordan later added a tip-in to account for the final
margin.
Paul said the strong start to the third quarter was hardly
coincidental.
"We talked about it, our first five, right before the second half
started," he said. "We didn't want to come out flat. We've been
doing that a lot this year, especially on the road, so we tried to
come out aggressive. We didn't want to work our way into it. We
wanted to run and pick up the pace. That gave us a little bit of a
cushion."
The double-double was Paul's 18th of the season. During his three
years with the Clippers, Los Angeles is 26-3 in games when he
generates 20-plus points and 10-plus assists. The Clippers are also
7-0 this year when he scores more than 20.
Philadelphia's Tony Wroten, who started at point guard for
Carter-Williams, called Paul one of the best point guards in the
league.
"You can't shut him down," Wroten said. "You have to try to contain
him. ... He's always in control. He's never rattled. He's a great
point guard, and he knows how to get other people involved. ... He's
got the ball in his hands 95 percent of the time. It's hard
sometimes for defenders to play 24 seconds."
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On the other end of the floor, the Sixers never could get
untracked offensively. In addition to their overall struggles
from the field, they shot 3-for-21 from 3-point range, a
season-low 14.3 percent.
"We've got to figure out some things in the half-court," center
Spencer Hawes said. "They scouted us pretty well. They took away
what we wanted to do, and we've got to figure out some
counters."
Neither team shot well in the first half. The Clippers made just
35.6 percent of their attempts but limited the Sixers to 30.2
percent marksmanship, another season low, in taking a 44-36 lead
after two quarters. The point total was also Philadelphia's
feeblest in any half this season.
Griffin had 15 points before the break, 11 as Los Angeles
assumed a 33-21 lead early in the second quarter, but the
Clippers missed their next 10 shots. Philadelphia rattled off
nine straight points to cut the gap to three, but Los Angeles
outscored the Sixers 11-6 the rest of the half. Paul and Griffin
had four each in that stretch.
Turner paced the Sixers with 13 first-half points.
Los Angeles ended the night shooting 42.7 percent from the
floor.
NOTES: Clippers C DeAndre Jordan's double-double was his 10th of
the season. He grabbed 16 or more rebounds in a game for the
sixth times this season after doing so just seven times in his
first five seasons combined. ... Sixers G Michael
Carter-Williams remains day-to-day, according to coach Brett
Brown. Carter-Williams was discharged from the Hospital at the
University of Pennsylvania on Sunday after spending three nights
there while undergoing treatment for the skin infection on the
front of his right knee. ... Free agent G/F Stephen Jackson, who
last played in the NBA for the San Antonio Spurs last season,
announced via Instagram he signed with the Clippers. However,
Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers, speaking before the game, said
only that a deal was close with Jackson. "Wwe need him, like,
now," Rivers said. The Clippers are thin on the perimeter, with
G J.J. Redick (broken hand), G/F Matt Barnes (retinal tear, left
eye) and G Reggie Bullock (ankle sprain) all out. ... ESPN
reported Sunday that the Sixers could offer F Thaddeus Young to
the Houston Rockets in exchange for C Omer Asik. "I think it
would be very hard (to leave), seeing as this has been the only
place I've been in my career," said Young, who is in his seventh
season.
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