Blake Griffin narrowly misses a triple-double in Clippers’ 100-92 win against Cleveland
Blake Griffin came within two rebounds and two assists of a triple-double, scoring 30 points, in the Clippers’ 100-92 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday afternoon at Staples Center.
He made sure to give recognition to the human assist: shooting guard Eric Gordon. Gordon, who was playing his first game since March 5 because of a sprained right wrist, had 29 points and five assists, making six three-pointers.
“Physically, him being out there just changes the game for us,” said Griffin, who had eight rebounds and eight assists. “It changes the other team’s game. Defensively, they have to make adjustments and all that. It helps out a lot.”
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It was the Clippers’ first win in three games, and Griffin looked far more energetic than he appeared near the end of the long trip and in Wednesday’s loss to Philadelphia. This was the first game he had scored 30 or more points since he had 32 on Feb. 11, at Cleveland.
Craig Smith had 12 points off the bench in 20-plus minutes. The Clippers used a different look the final quarter and a half, going with three guards. Coach Vinny Del Negro said that would not be an extended option Sunday against Phoenix because of the Suns’ Grant Hill.
Mo Williams, playing his first game against his former teammates, had 11 points and five assists, and Jamario Moon, who also came over from Cleveland in the Baron Davis deal, did not play. Davis, suffering from back spasms, did not play for the Cavaliers.
Playing against his old teammates and friends did not bother Williams. “If I was a young guy, maybe,” Williams said. “Not really. When you’ve been in this game long enough, you figure out how to adjust quickly. It was good seeing those guys, playing against them.”
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