The Los Angeles Clippers showcased their depth, as the bench carried the bulk of the load in weekend wins.
After Paul Pierce earned a day of rest in Friday’s 105-93 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, No. 34 was kept quiet in Sunday’s 120-93 triumph over the Chicago Bulls. Paul didn’t make the scoring column, but he tallied two assists and one rebound in about 16 minutes of playing time. But the bench made up for any discrepancies, registering 58 versus the Bulls after scoring 56 against the Lakers.
“Our bench has been better than fantastic,” coach Doc Rivers said. “You could see Jamal (Crawford) had it going and they were trying to get it to him every single time. That whole group, they don’t worry about misses anymore. I want them to play free, fast and aggressive.”
Crawford led the reserves with a game-high 26 points in 26 minutes Sunday. J.J. Redick tallied 21 points, and DeAndre Jordan collected a game-high 20 rebounds to go with his 17 points and four blocks.
The Clippers’ unselfish play yielded their 15th win in 18 games. Extra passes led to open looks, as LAC shot 56 percent from the floor and 53 percent from deep. Of the 13 Clippers to see the floor, 11 dished out an assist.
Chicago was held to 43 percent shooting, as Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose combined for 43 points. Rose looked particularly explosive getting to the basket, as Chicago scored 56 points in the paint to LAC’s 36.
“That’s what (the Bulls) do,” Rivers said. “They’re an attack team. They’re big. They have guards that get in the paint, so we assumed they were going to get in the paint tonight. And they did.”
But it was no match for the Clippers’ three-point shooting. LAC totaled 51 points from deep to Chicago’s 15.
The Bulls got off to a solid start by scoring the first six points. But The Truth triggered a 7-2 surge with an assist to Luc Mbah a Moute. Wesley Johnson capped the run with a triple to give the Clippers their first lead, 13-10. The lead switched hands twice more before the Clippers took a 51-47 edge into the locker room.
The Bulls never led in the second half. After falling behind by seven, they tried to hack their way back. But DeAndre Jordan foiled their plan, making three of four from the foul line. The Clippers stretched their lead from there to take an 11-point, 84-73, lead into the final frame.
Crawford scored the first eight points for the Clippers, capping his burst with perhaps his prettiest play of the night. Showing off his handles, he crossed up Doug McDermott before driving to the rim for a falling layup and putting LAC ahead, 92-75.
“Just being aggressive,” Crawford said on the key to his consistency. “I think doing that puts me in a rhythm. It takes the thought out.”
The Clippers only loosened up from there, eventually extending their lead to 27 points to end regulation and hand the Bulls their eighth loss in 12 games.
NEXT UP
Paul and the Clippers (32-16) conclude their three-game homestead when they welcome the Minnesota Timberwolves (14-35) to the Staples Center on Wednesday. The midweek matchup is set for 7:30 p.m. PT and will broadcast nationally on ESPN.
Before the Timberwolves take on the Clippers, they’ll face the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday at 7: 30 p.m. PT. The Clippers are 2-0 this season versus the Wolves, most recently winning 110-106 on Dec. 7.
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