Clippers Beat Kings 115-95 To Earn 4th Seed

By Connor Aylward
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Updated: April 12, 2017

In the 82nd and final game of the regular season for the Los Angeles Clippers much of the attention, for the first half at least, was on another ball game.

The Utah Jazz and the San Antonio Spurs were duking it out in Salt Lake City. With a Spurs win Los Angeles could rest their starters and coast into home court advantage in the playoffs. But with a Jazz victory, the Clippers would need one of their own against the Sacramento Kings.

Utah prevailed and Los Angeles didn’t have the luxury of resting their stars for the second half of this contest. A luxury that the Kings apparently felt they were entitled to after their 32 win season, sitting normal starters Darren Collison and Tyreke Evans who were listed as healthy scratches for Sacramento.

Still this rag-tag team of NBA cast-outs the Kings put on the floor held their own. Leading by just 6 at the halftime break, it took a stellar third quarter from the Clippers starters to put this team away.

One of the few Clippers starters tasked with a tough matchup on the night was Center DeAndre Jordan who matched up with the inexperienced but athletic Willie Cauley-Stein. Jordan took it to the second year Center finishing up with a double-double of 18 points and 17 rebounds not to mention an eyebrow raising 4 blocks on the other end.

Meanwhile another Clippers star Blake Griffin got off to a cold start shooting the ball but found his rhythm elsewhere early on and it led to him being on triple-double watch. Griffin closed with 15 points to go with 8 assists and 9 rebounds.

The bigs weren’t the only Los Angeles starters who had solid performances on the night. The whole starting unit scored in double-digits and one of them even made a little history. JJ Redick broke his own record and became the team’s single-season three point leader.

TFW you break your own record. #LACMilestone 🎯 pic.twitter.com/NC0m8XvM5e

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) April 13, 2017

Redick ended his night with 18 points.

A Clipper who had an easier matchup due to the Kings resting was Chris Paul. Paul was matched up with Langston Galloway. No offense to Mr. Galloway but he isn’t quite up to the “Point God’s” standards and it showed in this matchup. Paul would end up with yet another double-double getting 17 points and 9 assists.

Paul and Los Angeles would clinch that ever important home court advantage in their opening round series against Utah with a 115-95 victory against the Kings.

A much needed win for the Clippers who know how important home court can be. Next up is the Utah Jazz in the opening game of the NBA playoffs for Los Angeles Saturday Night at Staples Center at 7:30 PM PST.

Thanks for reading along Clipper Nation. Here’s to carrying this 7-game winning streak into the playoffs.

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