LOS ANGELES – Home or away, the Los Angeles Clippers are rolling right now. After blowing out the Orlando Magic last week to kick off their best road trip in franchise history, the Clippers showed they could dominate at home as well.
The Clippers extended their winning streak to a season high six games on Wednesday with a 114-86 blowout of the Orlando Magic in front of a sellout crowd at Staples Center.
However, the Clippers are supposed to beat teams like this. It’s the games against the Western Conference elite that give them trouble.
The young Orlando Magic could not stop J.J. Redick who once again was on fire from beyond the arc as he shot 4 for seven from downtown for 20 points on the night. The Clippers featured a balanced attack on offense thanks to perennial stars, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.
Griffin filled the stat sheet finishing with 21 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, two steals and a block. Chris Paul added a double-double with 19 points and 10 assists. Neither player played in the 4th quarter as the Clippers had the game in hand after three.
“Blake is playing better. Chris is playing more aggressive,” said Clippers head coach Doc Rivers about his dynamic duo. “I think everything starts with Chris and Blake. They have found a very good rhythm. From that, everyone is getting great shots. When J.J. [Redick] plays well, it means that the ball is really moving. He is the one guy that needs the ball to move to get a good shot.”
The Magic got off to a rough start as they were down 22-7 early in the first quarter, however, the team came back and were able to cut the lead to single digits before Orlando forward, Kyle O’Quinn hammered Griffin with a hard foul in the second quarter. After an official review, the foul was called a flagrant two, and O’Quinn was ejected from the game.
“I didn’t really see much. I closed my eyes,” said Griffin about the foul. “Honestly, I didn’t think it was a flagrant two. I didn’t think it was anything vicious. I thought we responded well in closing out the half and then coming out in the third quarter and continuing our effort.”
“They [Kyle O’Quinn and Blake Griffin] are 250-pound men. These are two gigantic oxen going up,” said Magic forward Channing Frye about the flagrant foul. “But that’s the way it went, and I think emotionally we just felt kind of let down from that and they took advantage of us.”
The rough foul on their teammate seemed to spark the Clippers as they went on an 19-8 run to close the half and went on a 12-1 run early in the third quarter to close the door on the game.
“I think the third quarter is a time where our team at times tries to take the first couple possessions to get loose when we gotta try and come out and hit right away,” said Chris Paul about starting the third quarter so aggressive.
Tobias Harris led the way for the Magic with 16 points and 8 rebounds, but the Magic were absolutely crushed on the offensive glass securing only four rebounds and zero second-chance points. They committed 17 turnovers that lead to 19 points for the Clippers.
I told Doc that he owes me a Christmas gift,” said Orlando Magic head coach, Jacque Vaughn. “That team has been playing well since they played us at our place.”
Game Notes: The Clippers have now won six games in a row by an average of over 18.0ppg. The Magic were without rookie Aaron Gordon and Devyn Marble. C.J. Wilcox made his Clippers debut with 4:37 left in the game. Magic rookie, Elfred Payton has an atrocious free throw percentage of 49 percent. To add insult to injury, Payton air balled his first two attempts of the game and was heckled by the Staples Center crowd.
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