Clippers Defeat Kings To Match Franchise Record Of 56 Wins
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Blake Griffin scored 27 points, DeAndre Jordan added 21, and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Sacramento Kings 117-101 on Saturday to earn their franchise record-tying 56th victory of the regular season.
Chris Paul added 17 points and 10 assists, J.J. Redick had 13 points, and Matt Barnes scored 12 in helping the playoff-bound Clippers improve to 33-7 at Staples Center, breaking the franchise record for home victories in a season. Griffin had nine assists, and Jordan had nine rebounds.
Los Angeles completed a season sweep of the Kings and has won seven straight against them at home.
DeMarcus Cousins had his seventh straight double-double with 32 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Kings, who lost their fifth in a row in their last road game of the season. Rudy Gay scored 16 points, and former Clipper Reggie Evans had 14 points and 14 rebounds.
Cousins and Ben McLemore combined to score 24 of the Kings' 32 points in the third quarter, including their last 20. McLemore hit consecutive 3-pointers, the second one just beating the clock at the end of the period, to leave the Kings trailing 85-79 going into the fourth.
McLemore finished with 14 points, hitting all six of his free throws, before getting his second technical and being ejected with 10:51 left in the game.
The Kings closed within two on a three-point play by Cousins in the fourth. The Clippers answered with a 12-2 run to go up 103-91, capped by Jamal Crawford's back-to-back 3-pointers. He landed in the lap of courtside fans after the first one.
Crawford returned after missing five straight games with a sore left Achilles' tendon. He finished with 10 points in 20 minutes.
Los Angeles outscored the Kings 25-5 on fastbreak points and 54-42 in the paint.
Notes: Clippers F Danny Granger sat out his seventh straight game because of a strained left hamstring. ... Kings G Isaiah Thomas missed his 10th straight game with a right quad contusion. ... Sacramento fell to 11-30 on the road and 7-19 against the West away from home. ... The Kings topped the 100-point mark for the first time in five games.