Los Angeles Clippers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: Postgame Grades and Analysis
Six players reached double figures for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who torched the Los Angeles Clippers 131-108 Sunday afternoon at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Kevin Durant scored a game-high 29 points, while OKC's bench outscored Los Angeles' reserves 61-41. Mitch McGary led the backups with 19.
Prior to tipoff, the Clippers announced the team would be without Blake Griffin due to a staph infection in his right elbow that requires surgery.
Los Angeles struggled on the glass in Griffin's absence, falling 54-28 in the rebounding category and ceding 16 offensive. Additionally, J.J. Redick's unavailability hurt the Clips as they hoisted 32 three-pointers but only converted 12.
Oklahoma City shot 52.3 percent from the field, tying its fifth-best mark this season.
| Chris Paul | A- |
| DeAndre Jordan | C+ |
| Matt Barnes | B- |
| Spencer Hawes | C |
| Rest of Team | D+ |
| Russell Westbrook | B+ |
| Kevin Durant | A |
| Reggie Jackson | A- |
| Dion Waiters | A |
| Rest of Team | B |
Los Angeles Clippers
Chris Paul: A-
Now that Griffin is unavailable, Chris Paul has been thrown into a precarious situation. CP3 was excellent Sunday afternoon, but he couldn't do everything.
The eight-time NBA All-Star racked up 18 points, 13 assists, six rebounds and three steals while committing just one turnover, though his major blemish was on a 0-of-4 mark from distance.
DeAndre Jordan: C+
DeAndre Jordan's scoring impact was hampered by his frontcourt partner's absence because Griffin creates a couple of open weak-side spaces for the Los Angeles center each night.
The 7-footer performed decently well in the post, but Jordan isn't accustomed to being a featured scorer. He accounted for eight points and attempted just six shots while the Clippers launched jumpers for a majority of the game.
Matt Barnes: B-
The small forward struggled to contain Durant, but it wasn't a product of poor defense from Matt Barnes. His main flaws were surrendering a terribly easy dunk and an offensive rebound due to suspect positioning.
Barnes offset some of those problems on the other end with 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting, hitting 3-of-6 from three-point range. He added three assists, which all came in the first quarter.
Spencer Hawes: C
Spencer Hawes stepped in for the injured Griffin and poured in a season-high 17 points during the opening half alone. But that's all the Clips received from their reserve big man.
The stretch 4 trudged to an 0-of-4 from the field during the second half and committed two turnovers. Los Angeles will be reliant on elevated production from Hawes until Griffin returns.
Rest of Team: D+
With Griffin and Redick sidelined, Austin Rivers and Hawes entered the starting lineup. Then, Glen Davis exited due to back spasms, and Hedo Turkoglu registered an underwhelming 11 minutes.
Consequently, the Clippers needed sixth man Jamal Crawford to play a near-perfect game. He amassed 21 points but registered nine during the final two minutes of the 23-point loss. Crawford was 5-of-17 from the field prior to that streak.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Russell Westbrook misfired on his first eight looks, evidently pressing on a couple of attempts that resulted in remarkably poor shot selections. He was held scoreless for 21-plus minutes.
But the all-around nature of Westbrook's game once again showed, since he still tallied 11 rebounds and five assists. The explosive guard managed 19 points on 6-of-19 shooting.
Kevin Durant: A
Unlike his superstar teammate, Durant started hot, scoring 15 points in the opening quarter. The All-Star reserve knocked down a few fadeaways, a shot that essentially cannot be defended at his length.
Durant has also improved his turnaround jumpers and running bank shots, and he utilized both on Sunday. The small forward finished with 29 points, six assists and five rebounds.
Reggie Jackson: A-
As has become relatively typical, the ball often stuck when it entered Reggie Jackson's hands. However, the backup point guard buried all six of his attempts from the field for 15 points.
Jackson displayed superb court vision at times, of course, dishing six assists. If he and Dion Waiters can work together more often, the Thunder bench can become a consistently dangerous unit.
Mitch McGary: A
Appearing in his third NBA game, McGary electrified the arena with 11 first-half points and six rebounds over just eight minutes of action. The Michigan product was easily one of the best players on the floor during that stretch.
McGary's five offensive rebounds led to nine Thunder points, including five of his own. The power forward recorded his first career double-double, ending with 19 points and 10 boards.
Rest of Team: B
Serge Ibaka's offensive presence was limited, considering he clanged three open triples and his first six attempts overall. However, the power forward altered a handful of shots at the rim and swatted two.
Steven Adams sprinted off the court after suffering an injury to his right hand. He netted a lefty free throw but went to the locker room immediately following and did not return. Waiters contributed 16 points, three rebounds and three assists.
What's Next?
Los Angeles (33-19) finishes its eight-game road trip opposite the Dallas Mavericks (35-18) Monday, Feb. 9, at 8:30 p.m. ET. FSW2 and NBATV will broadcast the Western Conference showdown.
The Clippers then close a grueling pre-All-Star break stretch with the Houston Rockets (35-15) on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Oklahoma City (26-25) hits the road to challenge the Denver Nuggets (19-32) Monday night at 9 p.m. ET before meeting the Memphis Grizzlies (37-13) Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET. Fox Sports Southwest will televise both matchups.
Follow Bleacher Report NBA writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.
