Clippers Rout Sixers, 130-99
LOS ANGELES (AP) — With star forward Blake Griffin sidelined, the Los Angeles Clippers are on a roll and getting contributions from everybody.
DeAndre Jordan led six players in double figures with 22 points and 13 rebounds, and the Clippers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 130-99 Saturday night for their season-high sixth straight victory. They improved to 5-0 without the injured Griffin.
"Everybody is picking it up so whenever he does come back we'll be a lot better," Jordan said.
Chris Paul added 15 points and 14 assists while setting up Jordan for some highlight-reel dunks that excited the sellout crowd against an opponent with the NBA's worst record.
Rookie big man Jahlil Okafor scored 23 points off the bench for the 76ers, who fell to 2-21 on the road and 3-33 overall while giving up a season high in points. Nik Stauskas made six 3-pointers for 18 points, and Nerlens Noel added 13 points.
"We really made new strides on this trip," Okafor said. "We won two games and we have Ish Smith here now. He's a new piece to this team and we're all really excited about it."
The Clippers pulled away to a 69-52 lead with a 26-12 run to end the first half. Jordan scored 10 points, punctuated by three dunks — including one off an alley-oop from Paul. Austin Rivers and Paul added four points each in the spurt.
"That stretch before halftime took their spirit away a little bit," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said.
In all, Jordan had a season-high nine dunks.
The 76ers led by five in the first quarter, when they shot 50 percent from the floor and owned a 16-2 edge in the paint. They kept it close until midway through the second, when they trailed by three.
"We played with a little more of a swagger in these games and we're figuring some things out," Noel said.
In the second, the Clippers launched their big run, propelled by Jordan's raw power at the rim. He even went 3 of 5 on free throws to go with five rebounds in the period.
"Everybody is building their confidence," Paul said. "Everybody is playing at the right pace and right spirit. We're just trying to hold it down until the big guy gets back."
Jordan kept it up in the third, dunking three more times. His best came on a fast-break alley-oop when Paul passed behind his head to a trailing Jordan, who slammed it home for an 89-65 lead. J.J. Redick, who finished with 16 points, added three 3-pointers in the quarter.
Doc Rivers rested his starters in the fourth, which began with the Clippers leading 103-74.
Austin Rivers scored 14 of his 26 points in the fourth. Jamal Crawford had 13 points and Wesley Johnson 12 for the Clippers, who shot 60 percent from the floor and 80 percent at the line.
TIP-INS
76ers: Previously, the most points they'd allowed this season was 127 against Atlanta on Dec. 16. ... F JaKarr Sampson has a sore left shoulder from getting hit Friday against the Lakers. ... The 76ers began the new year with a lost weekend in LA, losing first to the Lakers, who are the West's worst team.
Clippers: They've beaten the 76ers by an average of 29.3 points in the teams' last three meetings. ... Their winning streak is the longest active one in the NBA. ... Griffin is scheduled to visit a doctor next week for a progress check on his torn left quadriceps. ... F Branden Dawson scored his first NBA basket in the fourth after being called up from the D-League on Monday.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Jerry Colangelo, new chairman of basketball operations for the 76ers, has been on the team's current road trip for big-picture discussions with coach Brett Brown. Philadelphia went 2-3 on the swing.
"With his four decades of experience in the sport, when you get him in the program, how can you not be excited to say, 'What do you think?' and 'What would you do?'" Brown said. "It just adds to all the layers of trying to build something special in the city of Philadelphia."
QUOTE OF THE NIGHT
"I call him Doc when I'm here." — Austin Rivers on how he addresses his dad at work.
UP NEXT
76ers: Host Minnesota on Monday.
Clippers: Visit Portland on Wednesday.
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