(Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
After being embarrassed by the Warriors twice already this season, the Clippers returned the favor in the game they controlled from start to finish. Don’t let the final score fool you: The Clippers lead by 39 points and could’ve won by that much or more if they had kept their starters in. L.A. kept the pedal on the gas for most of the night, throwing lob after lob and humiliating the Warriors possession-by-possession.
The Clippers had seven players in double figures, including monster nights from Blake Griffin (20 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals) and Chris Paul (27 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists). No Warriors player scored over 14 points, and Golden State was an abysmal 5-for-20 from 3-point land. It was that kind of night. Without further ado, here’s Last Call:
Buzzer Reaction
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89 | Recap | Box score |
115 |  |
No Daily Dime tonight. So instead, enjoy an off-the-backboard alley-oop and a half-court lob from Chris Paul to DeAndre Jordan.
Tweet of the Game
Close game
— Chelsea Peretti (@ChelseaVPeretti) January 6, 2013
Matt Barnes dance dot gif bit.ly/UV7FOH
— Mike Prada (@MikePradaSBN) January 6, 2013
Eric Bledsoe Per36 Stat o’ The Night
| REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS | |
| Eric Bledsoe | 3.6 | 3.6 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.2 | -1.2 | 20.4 |
ClipperBlogLive’s Best Moment
Sorry, folks. Big technical issues. That ends the run of no glitches for @clipperbloglive. We’ll be back next game!
— ClipperBlog Live (@ClipperBlogLive) January 6, 2013
Check Your Messages
Game-to-game rotational adjustments
One of the big things people were keeping an eye on was how the Clippers would adjust after playing the Warriors three days earlier. But the thing I noticed was how they adjusted from the Lakers game just the previous night.
No Jamal Crawford in either game, but Chris Paul came out late in the first quarter. Instead, Willie Green played on well into the second, at which point Del Negro unleashed the much sought after Paul/Bledsoe backcourt.
Whether you agree with the strategy or not, it’s somewhat comforting to be able to identify adjustments in strategy rather than its absence.
Also, check this out from Matt Barnes’ Instagram account from earlier today:
Photo by: @matt_barnes9
matt_barnes9 Just wanted to share my recovery morning.. Far left Cryo Chamber to rejuvenate body the temp in there is -150, cold as shit.. Top middle pic is cold tub to ice hand down, bad thumb, bad pinky & born bruise in mid hand.. Middle bottom cold laser, one of only 6 n the US, working on my hand.. Top right Normatec to flush all the lactic acid out push any swelling out & last but not least bottom right, Hivamat electric stem to numb the pain receptors n my hand. Y’all think this is easy. #Clips
- Andrew Han
There will be blood
The Warriors are the only team that’s beaten the Clippers twice this season, and I have a hunch that not many teams will be able to boast that feat. While revenge is sweet, it was how the Clippers won that was impressive.
L.A. was the aggressor from practically start to finish (I’m not sure how much you can take away from garbage time), reading and reacting to what the Warriors wanted to do. Each steal seemed predetermined, as if the Clippers could read Golden State’s mind and knew where the ball was going to end up.
Because of the manner in which the Warriors defeated them this season, the Clippers had every right to go for the jugular and dismantle Golden State in both the half-court and transition. Lob after lob, steal after steal, the Clippers sent a message: This is our division. I think the Warriors got the message.
- Jovan Buha
