Celtics vs. Clippers: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2017 Regular Season
The Los Angeles Clippers used an overwhelming 43-14 run in the second half to defeat the shorthanded Boston Celtics 116-102 on Monday at the Staples Center.
Boston held the lead at halftime but couldn't keep up with the trio of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan with the game on the line. That combination, along with Jamal Crawford, helped move Los Angeles' record to 38-25 and end a lackluster 2-4 stretch:
| Chris Paul | 23 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 8-of-14 |
| Blake Griffin | 26 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8-of-15 |
| DeAndre Jordan | 15 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6-of-7 |
| Jamal Crawford | 19 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 6-of-13 |
The Celtics beat the Clippers in their first 2016-17 matchup with Paul sidelined. They were the ones missing key pieces Monday and announced Al Horford (elbow) and Jonas Jerebko (flu) were both out.
As a result, Boston dropped to 40-24 and just 3-5 in its last eight. Isaiah Thomas, who leads the league in fourth-quarter scoring, per NBA.com, poured in 32 points—10 of which came in the fourth—but the rest of his team shot just 6-of-27 from three-point range.
Marcus Smart added 21 points off the bench in defeat.
With Horford and Jerebko out, the Celtics started small with Thomas, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder and Jaylen Brown together. The group struggled early as Los Angeles scored seven of the first eight points, but Boston battled back and seized a 25-22 lead after the first.
Despite 10 points from Thomas, a Paul Pierce tribute stole the spotlight in the opening quarter.
Unless the Clippers and Celtics reach the NBA Finals, Monday was Pierce's final game against Boston, where he became a legend from 1998 to 2013. Celtics reporter Marc D'Amico noted the Staples Center was filled with Boston fans who gave a standing ovation for the Clippers' video montage.
The NBA shared the video that earned the Celtics' approval:
On the court, the back-and-forth continued in the second quarter with Boston taking a 46-43 advantage into the locker rooms even though it shot just 6-of-24 from deep in the first half. The Celtics made up for the poor shooting by keeping up on the boards (26-26) despite entering the contest a mere 27th in the league in rebounding differential, per ESPN.com.
The third quarter was one of runs, as Boston turned a 50-48 lead into a 66-53 advantage behind a 16-5 spurt. However, the Clippers came roaring back to take a 75-71 lead into the final quarter thanks to a commanding 22-5 burst, capped by a ridiculous three from Crawford:
Thomas was on the bench for a large portion of the Clippers' run, and Jay King of MassLive.com provided a suggestion as Los Angeles continued to control the pace during the early stages of the fourth:
Boston went small again in the middle of the fourth, and Crowder was stuck guarding Jordan. The result was plenty of easy looks at the rim, and the Clippers big man scored eight straight points for his team to push the advantage to 96-80.
Zach Harper of FanRag Sports weighed in on Boston's costly span:
Frustrated, Thomas picked up a technical foul down 99-82. It sparked a desperate comeback effort from the visitors and forced Clippers head coach Doc Rivers to bring Paul back from the bench for the last two minutes even though Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times said the point guard's elbow was wrapped in ice in the fourth quarter.
Even with Paul on the floor, Los Angeles turned the ball over multiple times down the stretch. Still, Boston never climbed closer than nine in the last minute.
Postgame Reaction
King noted "Thomas did not seem excited about lineups. Didn't say that specifically, but said, 'We can't be experimenting in Game 63.'"
Thomas continued commenting on head coach Brad Stevens, per King: "For the most part I try to let him coach. He's a very smart dude and he does a good job of the substitution patterns."
On the other side, Rivers recognized the importance of Crawford's shooting during the decisive run, per Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated: "One of the best decisions I made since I took this job was to never tell Jamal [Crawford] 'Bad shot.'"
What's Next?
Things don't get easier for the Celtics, who continue their five-game road trip against the mighty Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.
The Clippers start a quick two-game road trip Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
