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Aldrich Shines As Clippers Roll To 10 Straight

Cole Aldrich

For the first time in an NBA-leading 360 games, the Los Angeles Clippers would be without DeAndre Jordan Wednesday night due to his bout with Pneumonia so Cole Aldrich would start in his place. Carrying a 9 game winning streak into Staples Center the team faced the very tough Miami Heat that would also be scarred with an absence as starting point guard Goran Dragic was out due to a calf injury.

The first quarter started off hot for Chris Paul and Cole Aldrich as they helped the Clippers jump out to a 7-0 lead before a quick Miami timeout. The Heat did not allow that lead to last however as it didn’t take long for Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh to get things rolling. Once the Heat went to their bench the scoring did not stop, Gerald Green came on and dropped in a key 5 points off the bench that would help them secure a 25-17 lead heading into quarter number two.

The second did not start much better for Los Angeles as the ball just didn’t want to go through the net and Miami was passing it as well as I’ve seen on offense. Green continued his hot play, giving him 13 before the end of the half for the Heat. Paul would do everything he could to try and will the Clippers back into the game and his 9 point, 9 assist and 5 rebound half would help the club pull closer and make the game a manageable 52-45 at the halftime break, despite shooting 39% from the field.

The third quarter started and the Clippers showed some fire coming out of the break as they started the new half off on an 13-0 run with 8 of the 13 being scored by Aldrich. With just over seven minutes to go in the quarter the Clippers had turned the game on it’s head and held a 66-57 lead. Paul was a big reason Aldrich looked like an All- Star on Wednesday as his passing led the big man to some easy shots, but that isn’t to diminish what Aldrich did on the floor. His hustle and low-post skills on offense helped him get to 19 points and 7 rebounds through three as the Clippers walked into the final quarter of play with a 79-69 lead.

Chris Paul would sit to start the fourth quarter and the Clipper bench went along without missing a beat. Players like Jamal Crawford, Pablo Prigioni and Austin Rivers helped Los Angeles not only maintain but grow their lead. Prigioni ended his night with 8 steals in just 15 minutes of play! Meanwhile Crawford would lead the team through the fourth, ending his night with 15 points and helping the Clippers hold on and win this one convincingly 104 – 90.

Chris Paul stepped up in a big way in this one with 15 points, 12 assists, 6 rebounds and 4 steals of his own. Paul Pierce had a fantastic second quarter where he scored the majority of his 15 points and Redick closed it out with 12.

The man of the night had to be Cole Aldrich. His low post skills on the offensive end are something the team has lacked at that center position for some time and he should prove to be a valuable asset for Doc Rivers off the bench moving forward. Next for the Clippers will be Sacramento at home on Saturday at 7:30 PM Pacific.

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