NBA Recap: Los Angeles Clippers Clobber Miami Heat, 110-93
The Los Angeles Clippers built an early lead and ran away with the road victory over the Miami Heat, 110-93. The 2014 Pacific Division winners led by 39-15 in the first quarter largely in part for their impressive job of controlling the paint, offensively and defensively.
DeAndre Jordan was the epitome of the 44-26 points inside the paint advantage of the Clippers who scored 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds with all of his points coming off dunks. Chris Paul was his usual effective self registering a double-double of 26 points and 12 assists on just 32 minutes and just a solitary turnover. Doc River's squad was able to rest the starters early as the game went out of hand as early as the third quarter when the Clippers added to the lead and put the game away.
Chris Bosh did his part for the home team but his game-high 28 points were not enough to stop an offensive attack of the Clippers that was able to put up 110 markers in the scoreboard. The closest shot maker in the Heat was rookie point guard Shabazz Napier who was bright spot with 17 markers.
''We didn't have a chance tonight after that first quarter,'' Bosh said after the game. ''Good team like that, down 20, you can't do that. We can't do that. We're not good enough to keep making mistakes.''
The three-time world champions did not display the championship form as they succumbed to their first three-game home losing streak dating back to 2011. The Erik Spoelstra-coached team surrendered 55 percent in field goals and 40 percent from the three point line. On their end, the heat missed their first 11 shots from deep before converting one, just when the game appeared to be out of hand. The team has been missing the services of All-star Dwayne Wade who is still nursing the injured hamstring and are current 1-3 without their slashing star.
The Clippers (7-4) are showing encouraging signs after starting out slow in their 2015 NBA campaign. The team from Tinseltown is on a two-game winning streak after clobbering the Phoenix Suns during the weekend when they broke away from the pesky Suns in the second half of that game. Doc Rivers must be seeing positive signs as the team rode out that momentum to deliver the killer first quarter that took the life out of the Heat.