National Basketball Association
L.A. Clippers 130, Philadelphia 99
When: 10:30 PM ET, Saturday, January 2, 2016
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Officials: #55 Bill Kennedy, #63 Derek Richardson, #60 James Williams
Attendance: 19212

LOS ANGELES -- Despite losing All-Star forward Blake Griffin on Christmas Day, the Los Angeles Clippers celebrated with a holiday run that rates as their best of the season.

Center DeAndre Jordan had 22 points and 13 rebounds and the Clippers crushed the Philadelphia 76ers 130-99 on Saturday night at Staples Center.

Guard Austin Rivers came off the bench to score a season-high 26 points, shooting guard J.J. Redick added 16 points and point guard Chris Paul contributed 15 points and 14 assists for the Clippers (22-13), who coasted to their season-high sixth consecutive victory.

They have won all five games without Griffin, who suffered the injury during a rout of the Los Angeles Lakers.

"Our defense is getting better and I think it's just a collective effort to play with the right pace and spirit," said Paul, who scored 11 points in the first half and also grabbed five rebounds. "We are just trying to hold it down until Blake gets back."

Six Clippers reached double figures in scoring, including guard Jamal Crawford, who had 13 points, and forward Wesley Johnson, who chipped in 12 points and four steals.

Rookie center Jahlil Okafor led the 76ers with 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the field and guard Nik Stauskas finished with 18 points. Center Nerlens Noel had 13 points and eight boards.

The 76ers (3-33), who were playing the second end of a back-to-back after falling to the Lakers on Friday night, lost to the Clippers for the eighth straight time.

"They really are playoff-built," 76ers coach Brett Brown said. "I think they have the ability to play deep into the playoffs. And you see the depth that they have and the positional balance that they have. And then you're reminded that Blake is around the corner. You look at the rhythm that they've been on without Blake, having good wins and playing a real, I think, fluid game both offensively and defensively."

The Clippers turned a two-point lead at the end of the first quarter into a 69-52 cushion at the break. By the end of the third quarter, the gap widened to 103-74. That allowed Clippers coach Doc Rivers to rest his starters in the fourth quarter.

"I think that end of the second quarter was the cushion that won the game for us," Redick said.

A 3-pointer by forward JaKarr Sampson pulled the 76ers within 49-45 with 5:40 left in the second quarter, but the game took a turn for the worse from that point on for Philadelphia. The Clippers closed with a 20-7 surge to end the half.

"Wins are what create confidence for us," Doc Rivers said. "We're playing together, the ball is moving and it is nice to see. Our defense sets up everything. We get in those stretches where we get multiple stops in a row, and with the way we're shooting the ball goes from a five-point lead to 17 before halftime."

Los Angeles outscored Philadelphia 38-23 and outshot the Sixers 68.2 percent to 37.5 percent from the field in the second quarter. For the half, Los Angeles converted 60.5 percent compared with 44 percent for Philadelphia. Overall, the Clippers shot 60.5 percent to 46.1 for the 76ers.

"We could easily be 4-1 on this road trip," Noel said.

The Clippers also connected on 12 of 23 3-pointers (52.2 percent) and the 76ers managed 9 of 23 (39.1 percent).

Jordan and Rivers scored 12 points each in the first half, with both of them scoring nine apiece in the second quarter.

"I feel like that 3-point line in the second period hurt us," Brown said. "I think that some pick-and-roll mistakes in the second period hurt us, trying to send them back to switch. And I think they are a really good team."

NOTES: Clippers G J.J. Redick has been on a recent tear with his 3-point shooting, hitting 50.9 percent of his shots in the previous 18 games. In the opening 12 games, Redick was at 42.6 percent on 3s and averaged 13.4 points per game. Redick averaged 17.6 points during the recent stretch to raise his scoring output to 15.9 points this season. "Isn't that amazing?" Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said. ... Clippers F Paul Pierce got the night off to rest. ... 76ers G/F Hollis Thompson missed his second straight game with a right eye corneal abrasion. ... The 76ers, who capped their six-game swing against Los Angeles, open a six-game homestand Monday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Clippers get a three-day break before visiting the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.
Top Game Performances
 
Philadelphia   L.A. Clippers
Jahlil Okafor 23 Scoring Austin Rivers 26
Ish Smith 10 Assists Chris Paul 14
Nerlens Noel 8 Rebounds DeAndre Jordan 13
Carl Landry 3 Free Throws Made Chris Paul 6
TJ McConnell 3 Steals Wesley Johnson 4
Jakarr Sampson 2 Blocks Cole Aldrich 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Philadelphia 99 46.1 9-23 8-17 30 33 4 8 12
L.A. Clippers 130 60.5 12-23 20-25 28 47 6 7 15
Upcoming Games
  • L.A. Clippers will play their next game on the road against Portland. The Clippers have a W/L % of .682 after a win and .538 after a loss.
  • Philadelphia will play their next game at home against Minnesota. The 76ers have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .091 after a loss.