Clippers Overcome Sloppy Start, Defeat Magic 106-95

The LA Clippers defeated the Orlando Magic 106-95, in route to their third straight win.

First Half

Things were not looking good early on. The Clippers trailed by 11 to the Magic, only putting up 13 points in the opening quarter. With six of their next seven games on the road, it was imperative for the Clippers to come out and grab a win against an injury riddled Magic team.

In the first quarter, the Clippers were 6-of-23 from the field, which isn’t going to win you a whole lot of ballgames. But tonight for LA, they were up to the task.

In only took two minutes for the Clips to get right back in this ballgame. Down 12, the Clippers put together back-to-back-to-back-to-back three-pointers, giving them a 35-33 lead.

If you blinked, you probably missed it. Lou Williams, who had yet another 30-point performance, started the run by hitting the first two three’s. The Magic, much like the Clippers in the first quarter, just couldn’t seem to buy a basket. They were held scoreless for nearly a five minute stretch in the second.

An Austin Rivers layup and back-to-back Lou layups were able to give the Clippers a five point lead heading into the locker room.

Second Half

The Clippers jumped out to a seven-point lead, but a quick 8-0 Magic run gave them the lead once again. For LA, this would be the last time they would trail all evening. The Clips answered right back, and quickly jumped out to an eight point cushion, due to the help of Sam Dekker.

Dekker, who has had a relatively quiet season, knocked down back-to-back buckets, including a three. Coming into the game, the former Badger was 5-for-36 from beyond the arc on the season, so it sure was good seeing the long ball go through.

With just over one minute remaining, CJ Williams buried a three, giving the Clippers a double-digit lead.

A late layup and pair of free-throws cut the lead to six heading into the final quarter. For the Magic, that was as close as they’d get the rest of the way. The Clippers were able to grab a 16-point lead, due to three-pointers from Milos, Lou, and Sam. Orlando couldn’t seem to find an answer for LA, as the Clippers pulled away with an 11 point victory.

Takeaways:

• Austin Rivers left the game in the second quarter after taking an elbow to the face. He has been diagnosed with a concussion, and has been ruled OUT for Friday’s game.
• Sam Dekker had his best game as a Clipper. He had 12 points, including two 3’s.
• Although he only knocked down two of his nine shots, Milos looked better. He finished with a stat line of 8/6/6.
• With 20 rebounds, DeAndre Jordan had his fourth consecutive game with 17+ rebounds.
• Lou Williams is the BEST player off the bench in the NBA. He finished with 31 points. More impressively, though, finishing with a team-high eight assists.

What’s Next:

The Clippers move to 11-15 on the season. Although riddled with injuries, they’re only a game-and-a-half out of the playoff picture. In a tightly contested western conference, they’re only four games behind the fourth seed. Hey, it’s never too early to start looking at seeding.

LA will travel to Washington D.C. where they’ll have a rematch with the Wizards, whom they recently just defeated. The game is Friday at 7p.m. EST.