Hornets-Clippers Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Mar 25 2012 6:30PM

The Los Angeles Clippers' inability to beat the last-place New Orleans Hornets on a recent road trip is perhaps one small reason why coach Vinny Del Negro's job is reportedly in jeopardy.

After a convincing win in their return home, the Clippers will try to aid their embattled coach and their playoff hopes with a rare victory over the Hornets on Monday night.

Del Negro met with general manager Neil Olshey following an 0-3 road trip that was capped by a 97-90 defeat to New Orleans on Thursday. Los Angeles (27-21) is 8-12 over its last 20 but remains percentage points ahead of Dallas for fourth place in the Western Conference.

"All the speculation, all the sources, all that stuff, I don't spend a lot of time on that. I don't have time for that," Del Negro said. "It's aggravating, but that's part of the job. That's part of the deal. We haven't been playing well, and I'm the head coach. So that responsibility goes everywhere. ... We need to play better."

The Clippers, though, have won three straight at Staples Center after beating fellow playoff contender Memphis 101-85 on Saturday. Blake Griffin and Chris Paul each recorded double-doubles and three other players scored in double figures as Los Angeles shot 50 percent.

"It was very important to get a win. You almost forget what it feels like after you lose like we've been losing," Paul said. "Our defense had been horrendous for a few games, just giving up everything - 3s, layups, free throws - but today we put it all together.

"Everybody was really together when we came out there. We have a five-game homestand now, and we need every win we can possibly get right now."

Getting wins over New Orleans (12-36) has proved quite difficult in recent seasons. The Clippers have lost in 16 of the past 17 matchups and Paul's 16 points and nine assists against his former team didn't make a difference last week.

Los Angeles shot 38.9 percent in that game while New Orleans converted at a season-best 57.6. Former Clipper Chris Kaman paced the Hornets with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

New Orleans couldn't build on that victory Saturday, though, as it was denied only its third win streak with an 89-86 loss to San Antonio.

Jarrett Jack had 27 points but Kaman was out with an illness, an absence that helped the Spurs outscore the Hornets 52-42 in the paint. Kaman's status is unknown for his first visit to his former team.

Trevor Ariza was also out with an injured ankle and Jason Smith was serving the first of a two-game suspension for a flagrant foul on Griffin during Thursday's win. Even with those absences, the Hornets had an 86-85 lead with 1:20 remaining before missing their final three shots.

"We didn't have one guy blink," coach Monty Williams said. "They went out and played hard and just came up short. I'm kicking myself because I couldn't put us in position to win at the end.'"

New Orleans has won seven of its past eight road games against the Clippers but lost 99-95 during its most recent visit Nov. 22, 2010. Griffin had 24 points and 13 rebounds during that victory, his third consecutive double-double against the Hornets.

Paul haunts ex-mates as Clippers top Hornets 97-85

Posted Mar 27 2012 2:24AM

LOS ANGELES (AP) The New Orleans Hornets are just another opponent right now to Chris Paul, whose only incentive stems from the Western Conference standings and how high the long-suffering Los Angeles Clippers can get in the playoff seedings.

Paul had 25 points and 10 assists on Monday night in a 97-85 win against the team that first tried to trade him to the Lakers - a deal that was rejected by the league - before shipping the All-Star point guard to the Clippers shortly after the lockout ended.

"We had a lot of fun, just because we won. I could care less who the opponent was," Paul said. "We're playing for a lot right now, so we needed this win. It's not about who we're playing against. I'm far past that. I mean, my connection to that city will always be there. But I'm one of those people who, when you throw the ball up and you're on another team, it is what it is."

Blake Griffin added 20 points and seven rebounds to help the Clippers climb within two games of the Pacific Division-leading Lakers. Clippers reserve point guard Mo Williams missed his second game because of a sore big toe on his left foot, and is expected to be out at least another two weeks after getting it examined by a specialist Saturday.

Al-Farouq Aminu scored 15 points, and Carl Landry added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Hornets, who didn't have a player in double digits until Landry's two free throws trimmed Los Angeles' lead to 66-52 with 2:21 left in the third quarter. New Orleans committed a season-high 29 turnovers, leading to 35 points for the Clippers.

"Part of our bad start was not handling the ball correctly and turning it over. You really can't get into a rhythm when you're playing like that," said point guard Jarrett Jack, who had five turnovers, nine points and seven assists. "I put a lot of it on my shoulders. I didn't do a good job of setting a tempo for the game, and I am not really happy with the way I played."

The Hornets were without 7-footer Jason Smith, who completed the two-game suspension he received from the league after his flagrant foul against Griffin at New Orleans.

Griffin exacted a measure of payback on the Hornets, committing a flagrant 1 foul on Trevor Ariza as he attempted a driving layup with 7:07 left in the third quarter. Ariza said something to Griffin and ended up with a technical foul. Paul made the technical free throw, Ariza made both of his following the flagrant, and when the dust cleared, the Clippers had a 55-44 lead.

"I didn't do that for myself. I didn't even think it was a flagrant foul. It was a good foul," Griffin said. "Coach talked before the game about not giving up any layups, not giving up easy points and making teams earn it - just like they're doing to us. That's what that was."

Griffin also got a technical from referee Pat Fraher after picking up his fourth personal foul with 9:29 left and the Clippers ahead by 23 points. After both coaches emptied their benches, the Hornets went on a 13-0 run that narrowed the gap to 90-76 with 3:50 to play, forcing Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro to put Paul and Randy Foye back in.

The Clippers hosted the Hornets for the first time since the Dec. 14 trade that brought Paul to Los Angeles in exchange for center Chris Kaman, guard Eric Gordon and Aminu. But the only member of that trio in uniform for the homecoming was Aminu, who made seven of eight shots in 25 minutes after missing Saturday's game with a sore right ankle.

Kaman, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds in the Hornets' 97-90 victory last Thursday, was too sick to play in the rematch after missing Saturday's 89-86 home loss against San Antonio. Gordon, who hit a game-winning jumper with 4.2 seconds left in an 85-84 victory at Phoenix on opening night, has played in only two games all season due to a bruised right knee.

Hornets center Emeka Okafor missed his 22nd straight game because of a sore left knee.

The absence of Okafor, Smith and Kaman was felt right away by the Hornets, as the Clippers opened the game with an 18-2 run that included a 17-footer and an 11-foot pull-up jumper by Paul 58 seconds apart.

New Orleans quickly erased that 16-point deficit with a 14-3 run, capped by a layup by Xavier Henry that tied the score at 28. But they never did take the lead, and the Clippers built their margin to as many as 27 with 7:19 left in the fourth quarter.

"You've got to put teams away, especially teams like that," Paul said. "I came to the bench and told the guys that this team is not going to stop playing."

Notes: Paul made nine of 17 shots. ... A fan behind the visiting bench was ejected after throwing a peanut that struck Williams during a timeout with 8:08 left in the second quarter. ... The Clippers never trailed in a game for the first time this season. ... The Hornets came in with the league's third-worst record and used their 18th different starting lineup.

Notebook: Clippers 97, Hornets 85

Posted Tuesday March 27, 2012 2:06AM

By Dan Arritt, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: The Clippers forced a season-high 29 turnovers Monday night and avenged a loss to the Hornets last week by leading from start to finish in the 97-85 victory at Staples Center.

QUOTABLE: "We trust each other a little bit more. Our rotations have been a lot better in these last two games and we're going to see how it continues."
-- Clippers guard Chris Paul.

THE STAT: The Clippers scored 35 points off turnovers, compared to 13 for New Orleans, helping them lead by as many as 27 points in the fourth quarter. The 29 turnovers was also a season-high for the Hornets.

TURNING POINT: The Clippers made their first eight field-goal attempts and surged to an 18-2 lead, but the Hornets caught up early in the second. Leading by one point with 7 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter, the Clippers' bench was able to get some separation. Reggie Evans scored inside, Kenyon Martin sank a 17-footer and Eric Bledsoe scored on a fast-break to push the lead back to 37-30. A couple possessions later, Evans put back an offensive rebound off a missed 3-pointer by Nick Young and the lead was nine. The Hornets never got closer than seven the rest of the way.

HOT: Clippers forward Blake Griffin played like a man on a mission after he was hammered by Jason Smith in a loss Thursday in New Orleans, earning Smith a two-game suspension that kept him out of this game. Griffin finished with 20 points on 8-for-10 shooting, including one of his most spectacular dunks of the season, and also contributed seven rebounds and five assists ... Al-Farouq Aminu, who went to New Orleans as part of the package deal that brought Paul to L.A., shot 7-for-8 and scored a team-high 15 points off the bench.

NOT: The Hornets were already thin in the middle with the absence of starting center Chris Kaman due to the flu, the continued absence of center Emeka Okafor due to a knee injury and Smith's suspension. It didn't help when back-up power forward Chris Johnson checked into the game in the first quarter and committed three fouls in five minutes, earning him a seat back on the bench. Johnson got back in the game once it was decided and scored eight of his 11 points in the fourth quarter.

GOOD MOVE: There was some curiosity as to whether Blake would re-pay one of the Hornets with a hard foul of his own. He took the opportunity midway through the third quarter, hammering Trevor Ariza with both arms as he went up for a lay up. Ariza responded angrily, earning a technical foul, while Griffin was given a flagrant 1 foul. Griffin didn't engage Ariza, but rather stared down the New Orleans bench as he walked back toward mid-court. The move seem to further inspire his teammates, who responded with a 35-21 run to salt the victory.

QUOTABLE II: "This game was very physical. The game in [New Orleans] was very physical, and I think the guys responded well. Blake came down and was not trying to give them a 3-point play. He tried to go straight up, which we work on, but I thought it was a good foul ... there was no intention to hurt anybody."
-- Clippers head coach Vinny Del Negro.

BAD MOVE: New Orleans forward Carl Landry was playing his second game since missing the previous 26 with a knee injury. Hornets head coach Monty Williams elected to start Lance Thomas over Landry, which may have contributed to the Hornets falling behind so early. Williams quickly decided he needed Landry and inserted him into the game with 7:24 still remaining in the first quarter and the Hornets trailing, 13-2, but by then they were in full pursuit mode. Landry finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes. Thomas had four points and three rebounds in 18 minutes.

NOTABLE: The Clippers came in averaging 22 points in second quarter, 25th-best in the league. They scored 22 in the second against New Orleans, their lowest-scoring quarter of the game. Young, acquired in a trade-deadline deal with Washington on March 15, scored 17 points off the bench, his best game with the Clippers. Paul had 25 points and 10 assists against his former team. The Clippers were without back-up guard Mo Williams, who is expected to miss two weeks with a sprained left big toe.

UP NEXT: For the Clippers, Wednesday vs. Phoenix, Friday vs. Portland, Saturday v s. Utah. For the Hornets, Wednesday @ Golden State, Thursday @ Portland, Saturday @ L.A. Lakers.

• Hornets: Gordon
• Clippers: Billups, Leslie, Williams

• Hornets: Ariza
• Clippers: Griffin

• Lead Changes: 0
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
• Officials: #10 Ron Garretson, #26 Pat Fraher, #28 Tommy Nunez Jr.
• Attendance: 19060
• Duration: 2:21