Clippers Hand Blazers 1st Defeat Of Season
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Blake Griffin had his second straight double-double, Caron Butler scored 19 points and the Los Angeles Clippers opened the new year with a 93-88 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night to snap a two-game skid.
Griffin had 20 points and 10 rebounds to go with 17 points by Chris Paul and 13 by reserve Mo Williams in sending the Blazers to their first loss of the season.
Jamal Crawford scored 23 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added 19 for the Blazers, playing on the road for the first time after opening 3-0 at home. Nicolas Batum added 15 points. They erased most of a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter, but the Clippers hung on to end a five-game losing streak against their Western Conference rival.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
