The Washington Wizards (8-30) had a prime opportunity to tally a win against yet another unlikely victim this season, but their fourth-quarter rally proved too little too late as the Los Angeles Clippers (32-9) held on to win it, 94-87.
For starters, neither Blake Griffin nor Chris Paul played to their full potential Saturday night at the Staples Center. Griffin went 5-for-18 with free throws accounting for seven of his 17 points on the night. Paul tallied 22 points in his return after missing three games with a bruised right patella, but he still managed to go just 6-for-16.
While Griffin and Paul were sub-par on offense, they delivered when it mattered most and stole key opportunities from the Wizards in the final minutes of the game.
Neither team jumped in front in the first quarter. John Wall – who posted 24 points and six rebounds on the night – entered the game just over six minutes into play. Shortly after, his drive to the net tied the game at 18 points apiece, before Willie Green answered with a layup of his own for the Clippers. Wall’s 17-footer trimmed the Clippers lead to just 24-22 heading into the second quarter. [Read more…]