Clippers end 10-game losing streak in Cleveland
CLEVELAND - Los Angeles Clippers guard Jamal Crawford did what he does best -- score in bunches.
The leading candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award, Crawford had a game-high 24 points in the Clippers' 105-89 blowout victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday before an announced sold-out crowd of 20,562 at Quicken Loans Arena.
The Clippers (43-19) have won eight of their last nine games. They also snapped a 10-game losing streak at Quicken Loans Arena dating to March 10, 2002.
"Jamal made a lot of shots," Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. "Chris (Paul) controlled the game with his assists.
"The ball movement was good. Defensively, we got some steals and got on the break."
Power forward Blake Griffin added his 24th double-double of the season with 16 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks. He had six of the Clippers' 12 dunks on the night.
Paul, known as the top point guard in the NBA, played like it Friday. He finished with 11 points and a game-high 15 assists.
Forward Caron Butler added 13 points, while forward Lamar Odom had 10 points and seven rebounds.
The Cavs (20-39) missed All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving's offensive prowess. He's now missed three games in a row with a hyperextended right knee.
"Our game plan was great," Paul said. "Whether Kyrie played or not, with him and Dion Waiters, we were going to trap the ball screen. For a moment there, we couldn't slow down Dion."
Paul threw an alley-oop pass to Griffin for a dunk in the very first play.
"The Clippers were just a better basketball team than us tonight," Cavs coach Byron Scott said. "We tried to react to everything rather than being the aggressor. We couldn't come out with that kind of mentality."
Waiters paced the Cavs with 17 points and six assists, continuing his fine play since the All-Star break. He was honored before the game with the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month award.
But the Cavs needed more scorers in their arsenal. They shot 44.6 percent from the field and were pushed around on the boards, 39-32.
The real difference was in points in the paint where the Clippers had a major 50-28 edge.
"We have to foul those guys," Cavs power forward Tristan Thompson said.
Griffin, a Western Conference All-Star, made 2 of 5 from the foul line. Center DeAndre Jordan missed all four free throws. Nonetheless, they abused the Cavs in the paint.
"That was a very good team we just lost to," Scott said. "We came out sluggish for whatever reason, on our heels.
"When you lose your best player, you can survive that for three or four games (and then it catches up to you)."
Crawford made 8 of 14 from the field and 3-of-5 3-pointers.
"He's a difference-maker," Scott said. "We were soft with everyone else. Why not be soft with him as well?"
Crawford was drafted by the Cavs in 2000 and traded to Chicago for center Chris Mihm.
"They have guys who can make plays," Thompson said. "Jordan Crawford can score 20 points in like five minutes."
The Cavs had their modest two-game winning streak end. Thompson recorded his 20th double-double of the season with 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Swingman C.J. Miles added 16 points off the bench.
Cavs point guard Shaun Livingston, drafted by the Clippers in 2004, added 10 points. He was not nearly as effective as he was in his previous two starts.
NOTES: Irving has shown some improvement with his hyperextended right knee. However, he's not yet 100 percent, which is why he was held out of the lineup Friday. He had an MRI exam Monday in Chicago, a day after his last appearance in Miami. There's a chance he could play Monday vs. the New York Knicks. ... The Cavs discussed a buyout with forward Omri Casspi, but were unable to reach an agreement. He would have had to be waived by midnight Friday to be eligible for another team's playoff roster. ... Scott said the biggest difference between Paul and Irving is the former's experience. This is Paul's eighth season in the NBA, Irving's second. "He's the best leader in the league," Scott said. They both have a killer instinct. They both want the ball in their hands. I used to call CP the 'quiet assassin.' " ... Scott said it pains him that the Clippers are now the No. 1 team in Los Angeles. He admits that the Clippers are legitimate. "They'll have to be dealt with," he said. "They are a team that can win it all. They are as deep as any team in the NBA, maybe the deepest." ... The Cavs recalled forward Kevin Jones from the Canton Charge on Friday. He had 24 points and nine rebounds vs. Idaho on Thursday. ... Clippers center DeAndre Jordan didn't break his nose Thursday in Indiana. Del Negro said Jordan had an X-ray and a scan. "He's fine," Del Negro said.
