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Clippers sink franchise-record 25 3-pointers to rout Pelicans
After getting Thursday’s jagged bubble debut out of the way, the Clippers found their rhythm and their range Saturday, hitting a franchise-record 25 3-pointers in a 126-103 rout of the New Orleans Pelicans.
“The first games are always pretty ugly,” said Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, shrugging off the 103-101 loss to the Lakers, which felt like old news after Saturday’s performance — a beauty by almost every measure — at Walt Disney World Resort.
All the 3-pointers helped Coach Doc Rivers ease to his 939th career win, which moved him past Red Auerbach for sole possession of 11th place on the NBA’s all-time wins list.
His salmon-colored polo shirt was soaked after the game, evidence of his players taking it upon themselves to douse him with water to celebrate the milestone.
“Any type of celebration is always good,” said Rivers, via Zoom, as he sought to share the credit. “I’ve been very fortunate. I’ve had unreal players and unreal coaches. I’ve had great staff and great ownership that have allowed me to coach this long.”
The Clippers’ 3-point shooting was darn near unreal Saturday, as they eclipsed the franchise record of 24 set by the team earlier in a victory over Miami on Feb. 5 at Staples Center.
On the court, Paul George led the way with eight 3-pointers — and off it, he also did his part to help secure the record, informing Terance Mann in the waning seconds that a team record was just one made 3 away.
“I don’t think they knew how close we were,” George said. “Forty seconds on the clock, somebody got fouled and (Mann) came over to the bench. I told him, ‘Man, we need one 3 for the record!’”
Mann delivered, connecting on a shot from 26 feet out with nine seconds to play. He became the 10th Clippers to make a 3-pointer Saturday, when collectively, the Clippers (45-21) shot just 42.5% (37 for 87) from the field, but 53.2% (25 of 47) from long range.
In 26 minutes over three quarters of action, George scored a team-high 28 points, 24 of them coming from behind the arc. He went 8 for 17 from the field – and 8 for 11 from 3-point range.
“It’s weird because I can’t make nothing else,” George said. “The 3s are the only thing that are dropping. In a way, I’m in a rhythm, but I’m not in a rhythm because I can’t find the ball in between the 3-point line. It’s great that the long ball’s falling. I’m going to stick with it, continue to keep shooting them.
“Hopefully I can find a rhythm throughout my whole game,” said George, who also made a team-high three steals.
George, the first-year Clipper, became the sixth player in franchise history to make at least eight 3-pointers in a game, as he continued to exhibit the long-distance prowess he’d shown Thursday, when he was was 6 for 11 from deep.
Leonard scored 24 points, grabbed five rebounds and made some history of his own with his third assist of the game, which gave him 261 helpers on the season, a new single-season career-high. He finished the game having increased his season total to 263.
With the tenor-setting Beverley back in the starting lineup, the Clippers bolted to a 37-25 first-quarter lead. Their advantage ballooned to 77-45 at the half – the fifth-largest halftime lead in franchise history. And even without Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams to supplement the offense off the bench, the Clippers kept pouring it on generously.
They felt it from long range from the jump, shooting 4 for 12 from inside the arc in the first quarter, when they were 9 for 13 beyond it. At one point, L.A. had as many 3s as the Pelicans had baskets, going 13 for 20 from 3-point range while New Orleans was 13 for 31 overall. The Clippers’ 17 first-half 3-pointers also was a franchise record and just one shy of the 2018 Warriors’ NBA record for a half.
Against the Lakers, the Clippers’ 3-point shooting (16 for 36) had been one of the bright spots, dimmed by miscues in so many other areas. There’d been way too many defensive lapses for Doc Rivers’ liking, and too many fouls (30) and turnovers (22).
L.A. cleaned up its act against the Pelicans, finishing with 10 turnovers – only three of which came through the first three quarters, when the starters were at work. The Clippers also finished with 28 personal fouls, only 15 of which came in the first three quarters.
And they held the high-octane Pelicans to fewer than 104 points for just the eighth time this season, as New Orleans’ play-in hopes took a hit.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker led New Orleans (28-38) with 15 points and, in 14 minutes, superstar rookie Zion Williamson finished with just seven points – the fewest he’s scored in 21 NBA games.
└08.01 vs New Orleans
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└This pic.twitter.com/WVQIPkDfur
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) August 2, 2020