Five Reasons Why the Clippers Beat the Lakers

1. The Lakers' Poor Play in the Frontcourt

Metta World Peace and Pau Gasol played a total of 62 minutes. They had four points. They each shot 1-of-6 from the field. And World Peace fouled out of the game. Yeesh.

2. Chris Paul

In a battle of MVP candidates, Chris Paul was fantastic. The Clippers fans were loudly casting their vote for CP3 as the "M-V-P." And rightly so. He poured in 30 points, including going 7-of-7 from the free-throw line and converting some key foul shots late in the fourth quarter. He shouldered the load with Jamal Crawford out injured and Blake Griffin battling foul trouble. Paul also had 13 dimes and six boards. But he only shot 11-of-25 from the field. Kobe had 38 points on 15-of-25 shooting, and he had five steals too. So if this was a referendum on the MVP, let's call it a draw. Or I demand a recount!

3. The Lakers' poor defense

While the Lakers ground it out late and made it a two-point game with less than 90 seconds left, they suffered from complete defensive lapses for long periods of time. Even Dwight Howard seemed disinterested on certain drives. Maybe he didn't want to get posterized by Griffin, but Blake sank an uncontested floater with 4:25 left. The Lakers have the offense, and if they can wake up on defense, this will be a dangerous team in the playoffs. Until then, they'll have to focus on getting out of 11th place. They fall to 15-17.

4. Poor Three-Point Shooting from the Lakers

I thought this would be a section on the Clippers' superior depth on the bench, but that wasn't the case. Matt Barnes and Eric Bledsoe played well for the Clippers, but so did Jodie Meeks and Jordan Hill for the Lakers. The Lakers took 25 three-pointers and made only six. You can't shoot 24 percent from beyond the arc when you attempt 25 treys. That's poor shot selection. That same failing is also evidenced by the Clippers having 31 assists and the Lakers having just 19. Steve Nash had decent numbers by the end, but he didn't feel like an impact player in the game.

5. Rebounding

The Clippers outrebounded the Lakers 47 to 36. They also had 15 offensive boards to the Lakers' 10. Enough said. And yet the Lakers still almost pulled it out.

Final.

Here are the full and final stats.

(Expanded) Star Player Update

LA Lakers
Kobe Bryant 38 PTS, 5 STL
Dwight Howard 21 PTS, 15 REB, 4 TO, 6 PF
Steve Nash 12 PTS, 10 AST, 4 TO
Pau Gasol 2 PTS, 4 REB, 2 BLK
Jordan Hill 13 PTS, 7 REB
Jodie Meeks 14 PTS, 3 REB

LA Clippers
Chris Paul 30 PTS, 13 AST, 6 REB
Blake Griffin 24 PTS, 5 REB
Willie Green 10 PTS, 3 AST
DeAndre Jordan 8 PTS, 9 REB

And it's over, it's all over.

That Dwight Howard offensive foul with the score 99-91 at the 2:59 mark will loom large. As will his foul on Chris Paul with the score at 99-97 at the 1:07 mark and only a single second remaining on the shot clock. He fouled out on a very, very unwise foul.

Great game. The Lakers have a lot of fight in them. Kobe had 38, and if Pau Gasol had shown up, the result would probably have been different.

Lakers 102, CLIPPERS 107 — END OF THE GAME

And it's all foul shots now. Chris Paul is heading back to the line as Metta World Peace has fouled out. He was nonexistent tonight (2 PTS, 5 REB).

CP3 hits them both.

Lakers 99, CLIPPERS 105 — 0:13 REMAINING IN 4TH QUARTER

Chris Paul with the nail in the coffin. Takes the shot clock all the way down and drains the fadeaway from the top of the key. Takes the little step back from Kobe and ices the game.

This is a battle of MVP candidates. Kobe has 36 points on more efficient shooting, but Paul has been so clutch. He's got 26 points, 13 assists and six rebounds.

Lakers 97, CLIPPERS 103 — 0:20 REMAINING IN 4TH QUARTER

The Lakers just wound the shot clock all the way down before Kobe launched a three-pointer from way downtown. I really thought it would go in. But it spins out and comes off Gasol.

Now we have the second replay review in the last minute of play, and Jeff Van Gundy is furious at the break in pace. They confirm it's Clippers ball.

Lakers 97, CLIPPERS 101 — 0:42 REMAINING IN 4TH QUARTER

Lakers were on a 12-3 run by the way.

But now Dwight Howard has fouled out (21 PTS, 15 REB). He fouled Chris Pail with one second left on the shot clock. That is simply stupid. Paul makes both.

Lakers 97, CLIPPERS 101 — 1:05 REMAINING IN 4TH QUARTER

The Clippers seem incapable of playing a slow-tempo game. Paul almost turns it over looking for Griffin, but it went off Dwight Howard. This is now officially a nail-biter!

Lakers 97, CLIPPERS 99 — 1:14 REMAINING IN 4TH QUARTER

Yeesh, the Clippers are just running down the clock before they setup their offense. They get a 24-second violation there. Someone tell Del Negro you can't take a QB kneel in basketball.

And the Black Mamba make them pay! He buries a long jumper, and it's a two-point game. Kobe made that move on Barnes as he chewed on his jersey. Is he teething? He's got 36 points on 14-of-22 shooting. Wow. A 34-year-old MVP?

Lakers 97, CLIPPERS 99— 1:29 REMAINING IN 4TH QUARTER

And Howard is heading back to the line. Bledsoe alertly hacked Dwight just before the two-minute mark.

But Dwight finally makes both! He's 5-of-11 from the line now. Four-point game!

Lakers 95, CLIPPERS 99 — 1:58 REMAINING IN 4TH QUARTER

Lamar Odom was trying to foul Howard, which would have been his sixth foul. But Howard pushes off and gets called for the offensive foul. That's his fifth. Very, very bad.

Howard really doesn't want to go to the line!

Lakers 91, CLIPPERS 99 — 2:40 REMAINING IN 4TH QUARTER

Can they really get rid of this strategy? Why shouldn't someone who can't shoot free throws be punished and singled out? It's an uncontested shot! A middle schooler could shoot 60 percent!

Hack-a-Dwight has become the victory cigar that you put out in your opponents' eye

— Ethan Strauss (@SherwoodStrauss) January 5, 2013

I'm not sure, but I think Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant genuinely don't like each other.

Jeff Van Gundy is explaining to the nation that Blake Griffin wants to drive with his right hand. Why don't the Lakers defenders realize this yet? Oh, right, because their coach is Mike D'Antoni.

Clippers are now in hack-a-Dwight mode, by the way. Will the Lakers go with hack-a-Jordan? Nope, Del Negro takes him out! And Dwight misses BOTH of his free throws.

Lakers 91, CLIPPERS 99 — 3:42 REMAINING IN 4TH QUARTER

The Lakers have just ground it out and hung around in this game. And here they are with five minutes left down by only seven points. Look out for the Black Mamba! Clippers can't buy a shot lately.

Lakers 89, CLIPPERS 96 — 5:09 REMAINING IN 4TH QUARTER

Val Kilmer and Billy Crystal are in the house. Kilmer looks like he lost some weight, which is saying something. He literally had gained 100 pounds. And not for a role in a movie. Bless you, Val.

And Kobe has 30! It's been all Kobe for the Lakers. But CP3 hits a triple at the other end.

Thought: If Vince Carter's three-pointers were VC3s, why aren't Chris Paul's CP3s?

With Griffin only playing 22 minutes due to foul trouble, this hasn't been Chris Paul vs. Steve Nash, it's been Paul vs. Kobe. And that's a great show!

Lakers 85, CLIPPERS 96 — 5:51 REMAINING IN 4TH QUARTER

This isn't a snoozer. Nash to Kobe and the Lakers are back within 11 points after a little run. Still within striking distance but the Clippers will have to go ice cold from the field down the stretch. It's hard to believe that the Lakers have that defensive effort in them.

But Odom now picks up his fifth foul and they call a technical on Griffin. I guess there was too much bellyaching.

Lakers 83, CLIPPERS 93 — 7:02 REMAINING IN 4TH QUARTER

The Lakers just got their first offensive rebound since the six-minute mark of the second quarter, according to ESPN.

Gasol and World Peace are a combined 1-of-11 from the field. Dwight Howard is 3-of-7 from the free-throw line.

Jordan Hill is headed to the locker room with an ankle issue. They can't afford to lose his offense off the bench. He's having a great night. He even made my star player update!

Lakers 78, CLIPPERS 92 — 9:28 REMAINING IN 4TH QUARTER

After three quarters.

Star Player Update
LA Lakers
Kobe Bryant 24 PTS, 5 STL
Dwight Howard 17 PTS, 8 REB
Steve Nash 7 PTS, 7 AST, 4 TO
Pau Gasol 3 PTS, 4 REB, 2 BLK
Jordan Hill 13 PTS, 7 REB

LA Clippers
Chris Paul 19 PTS, 13 AST, 5 REB
Blake Griffin 21 PTS, 3 REB

Someone check the court for Darius Morris' shoes. He just got his ankles broken by Chris Paul and made the stupid foul. Three-point play.

And now very loud M-V-P chants for Chris Paul at the line. Clippers fans are getting raucous. Solid defense and explosive offense on display.

Oh yeah, and another HUGE alley-oop for DeAndre Jordan. It's a 16-point game. Lakers were within three at the 9:50 mark. But you have to play defense!

Lakers 71, CLIPPERS 87 — END OF 3RD QUARTER

Shoutout to my people.

Sorry Blake Griffin worshippers, JaVale's the dunk king right now. twitter.com/BR_NBA/status/…

— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) January 5, 2013

Jodie Meeks has tried to drive to the hoop on a fast break twice in a row. Fails both times instead of giving it to Kobe. Nice job by Matt Barnes to earn a jump ball on that one. And he wins the jump.

Jodie Meeks, you are not Kobe!

By the way, Lamar Odom just went right at Gasol and scored. Welcome back.

Lakers 69, CLIPPERS 82 — 1:30 REMAINING IN 3RD QUARTER