LOS ANGELES (AP)—Blake Griffin(notes) scored 16 points in his second consecutive start and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Utah Jazz 103-96 in a preseason game on Saturday night.
Eric Gordon(notes) and Chris Kaman(notes) also had 16 points apiece for Los Angeles, which has won four straight since a seven-point loss at Golden State in its exhibition opener. Griffin, the first overall pick in the draft, had eight rebounds.
Carlos Boozer(notes) led Utah with 20 points and Deron Williams(notes) added 19.
Kareem Rush(notes) hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final 3:12 to help Los Angeles hold on. His first one gave the Clippers their biggest lead, 96-87. He added another with 1:17 to go, and Los Angeles sealed the win with two free throws each by Kaman and Gordon.
The Jazz led 54-50 at halftime after the Clippers erased an early nine-point deficit, and neither team led by more than four over the final 11:20 of the third quarter.
Replacement referees Brian Shelley, George McDaniels and Lorenzo Bronson called 56 fouls. Williams had a problem with Bronson in the final seconds of the first quarter, claiming he was fouled by Griffin after the rookie stripped him of the ball. Early in the third, there was miscommunication between the officials on a call and four different announcements were made on the public address system.
NOTES: The Jazz will host the Clippers in the team’s home opener on Oct. 30. Los Angeles has lost 38 of its last 39 games at Salt Lake City. … No Utah player has scored more than 20 points in any of the team’s five exhibition games.
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