Clippers Edge Kings 103-102 On Paul's Free Throw
LOS ANGELES (CBS/AP) -- Chris Paul scored 22 points, hitting a go-ahead free throw with 2.5 seconds left, to help the Clippers beat the Sacramento Kings 103-102 Saturday after Los Angeles blew a 20-point lead in the first half.
DeAndre Jordan had 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Blake Griffin finished with 16 points and 10 boards for the Clippers, who have won 11 of their last 13 against the Kings. J.J. Redick added 15 points.
Paul's NBA-record streak of 13 straight games with at least 10 points and 10 assists to start a season ended when he finished with nine assists.
DeMarcus Cousins had 23 points and 19 rebounds for the Kings, who had won two in a row.
Isaiah Thomas added 22 points, making 11 of 13 free throws, and Patrick Patterson scored 21 points off the bench, combining to outscore the Clippers' reserves.
They carried the Kings in the fourth, when Cousins was limited to four points and picked up two fouls on the same play.
Jared Dudley's 3-pointer pulled the Clippers to 96-95 and then Paul's 3 tied it at 98-all with 1:29 to play.
Cousins missed a pair of free throws before Paul's driving layup put the Clippers, who led by nine earlier in the fourth, back in front 100-98.
Thomas made two free throws for another tie at 100-all. Griffin's driving dunk gave the Clippers back the lead 102-100 with 44 seconds left.
Paul fouled Thomas, who made both for a 102-all tie with 24 seconds left.
Paul got fouled with 2.5 seconds to go. He made the first, putting the Clippers ahead 103-102 and missed the second. After a timeout, Jordan blocked Cousins' jumper to preserve the win.
Thompson and Patterson combined on a 10-point run to open the fourth and give Sacramento a 79-78 lead. Travis Outlaw got called for a flagrant-2 foul for pulling down Redick on a fast break and was ejected.
Redick made just one of two free throws, tying the game at 79-all.
The Kings chipped away in the third and twice cut their deficit to two points before Cousins scored their final four points to trail 75-69 going into the fourth. The Clippers were 7 of 18 from the floor, got outrebounded 15-10 and missed 7 of 9 free throws.
The Clippers extended their lead to 40-20 in the second before the Kings outscored them 28-17 to end the half trailing 57-48.
The Clippers shot 62 percent in dominating the first. They ran off 16 unanswered points, including four 3-pointers in a row, to go up 21-8. Dudley hit back-to-back 3s in front of the Clippers' bench before they closed the quarter with six straight points to lead 29-13.
Notes: The Kings have just four win streaks of three games or more since December 2009.
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