THE FACT: Chris Paul had a career high eight 3-pointers against Oklahoma City.
THE LEAD: It took Clippers point guard Chris Paul just six minutes in the first quarter to tie his career high with five made 3-point baskets. He went on to splash eight long balls and score 32 points in leading his Clippers to a 122-105 blowout win over the Oklahoma City Thunder to take a 1-0 series lead.
The Clippers were hot from everywhere, shooting 51.7 percent on 3s and 54.9 percent overall while turning the ball over only nine times and handing out 26 assists.
Russell Westbrook led Oklahoma City with 29 points on 9-for-14 shooting and Kevin Durant added 25 on 9-for-19. Serge Ibaka dropped in 12 on 6-for-9 shooting but no one else for the Thunder did much on offense. Caron Butler and Reggie Jackson were a combined 2-for-15 for seven points and 1-for-6 on 3s.
Blake Griffin, coming back home to Oklahoma City where he grew up and played for the University of Oklahoma, ended up with 23 points, five rebounds and five assists. Jamal Crawford came off the bench to score 17 for the Clippers but it was Paul who dominated the game. He also handed out 10 assists and was flawless in his handling of the offense.
QUOTABLE: "C.P. really set the tone for us to start the game. His being aggressive at the start really helped us. Tonight he just looked great and we just had one of those nights when everything was going in."
-- Clippers head coach Doc Rivers
THE STAT: Interestingly on Paul's hot night his lowest shooting percentage came on the easiest shots. He was 66.7 percent from the free throw line but 85.7 percent on field goals and 88.9 percent on 3s.
TURNING POINT: After the Thunder had taken a 16-10 lead in the first quarter the Clippers went on a 24-6 run to give them a double-digit cushion. Playing with that lead the Clippers never let OKC get closer than 13 points the rest of the night.
QUOTABLE II: "We have to play better on defense. They were making shots, getting to the line and making 3s. Chris had an unbelievable night. We have to do a better job guarding the 3-point line."
-- Thunder head coach Scott Brooks
QUOTABLE III: "I just tried to take what was given to me and just kept trying to be aggressive. I came over here (to the arena) early before the game today to get some shots up and try to get my body right."
-- Chris Paul
HOT: The Thunder started 7-for-10 (70 percent) and the Clippers started 5-for-8 (62.5 percent). ... OKC finished the quarter at 50 percent (10-for-20) and the Thunder finished at 66.7 percent (16-24). ... The Clippers were 9-for-16 (56.3 percent) on 3s in the first half. ... Paul was 6-for-6 from deep. ... Westbrook was 6-for-8 (16 points) in the first half. ... Paul finished 12-for-14 overall and 8-for-9 on 3s. ... The Clippers shot 51.7 percent from beyond the arc.
NOT: The Thunder were 2-for-9 on 3s in the first half. ... Butler was 0-for-3 in the first half and finished 1-for-7 (three points). Jackson was 1-for-8 (four points). ... DeAndre Jordan was 1-for-8 on free throws.
INSIDE THE ARENA: The 160th consecutive sellout inside Chesapeake Energy Arena. NBA superfan Jimmy Goldstein was among those sitting courtside.
GOOD MOVE: In the first quarter Ibaka got open in the lane for a slam then Thabo Sefolosha, whom Brooks inserted back into the starting lineup, stole the outlet pass and raced back the other way hitting a wide-open Durant with a pass and KD splashed a 3.
GOOD MOVE TOO: Rivers said "this series would take on a different identity" from the first round series each team played and it certainly did for OKC. The Thunder were coming off a slow down, grind-it-out series with Memphis and ran right into a buzz saw. The Clippers dominated in the paint and out on the perimeter with speed and precision.
BAD MOVE: The Thunder, knowing full well the Clippers love to shoot the 3-ball, were continually torched by the long ball in the first half and nothing changed in the second half. Brooks started Sefolosha for his perimeter defense but even he couldn't help. Defense was sloppy and late on closeouts.
ROOKIE WATCH: Thunder center Steven Adams, who had played well offensively against the Clippers in the regular season, didn't take a shot in the 19 minutes he played while pulling down four rebounds.
NOTABLE: The 69 points scored by the Clippers in the first half are the most the Thunder have given up by halftime in a playoff game.
UP NEXT: Game 2 Wednesday @ Oklahoma City, Game 3 Friday @ Los Angeles, Game 4 Sunday @ Los Angeles.
19 май 2014
