Clippers clicking on the court despite issues off it

Alec Brzezinski

•
Clippers clicking on the court despite issues off it image

It's been a trying couple of weeks for the Clippers.

After losing power forward Blake Griffin indefinitely with an injury to his quadriceps, Griffin broke his shooting hand when he punched a team assistant equipment manager last week. But off-the-court issues aside, Los Angeles has been playing excellent basketball lately, especially off the bench.

MORE: Don't dismiss these D-League prospects | As trade deadline approaches, these contenders need help

Jamal Crawford, a two-time Sixth Man of the Year award winner, scored a game-high 26 points off the bench Sunday to help the Clippers beat Chicago 120-93 at home. Crawford went 11 of 15 from the field and 2 for 3 from beyond the arc.

"Our bench has been better than fantastic," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said, via NBA.com. "You could see Jamal had it going and they were trying to get it to him every single time. That whole group, they don't worry about misses anymore. I want them to play free, fast and aggressive."

It wasn't just the bench producing for the Clippers, however. Center DeAndre Jordan scored 17 points, hauled in 20 rebounds and blocked four shots. J.J. Redick added 21 points and Chris Paul poured in another 19.

The Clippers (32-16) have now won five of their last six games and look like a real threat in the Western Conference once everyone is back and healthy.

Draymond Green proves getting a triple-double can help the team:

After claiming the Warriors almost lost on Saturday because he was chasing a triple-double, Green actually managed the feat in Sunday's 116-95 win against the Knicks. Green scored 20 points on 9-of-9 shooting with 10 rebounds and 10 assists to complete his ninth triple-double of the season.

It was always a reach to blame Golden State's second-half collapse against the 76ers on his extended efforts to get an extra assist, but Green did look much more comfortable on Sunday. His perfect shooting night was his third such performance of the season.

Lakers sink to new low:

The Lakers lost their 10th straight game Sunday night as the Hornets walked out of the Staples Center with a 101-82 win. The 10-game losing streak ties a franchise record set in 1994. The Lakers (9-41) are on pace to win just 18 games, which would be the fewest wins in team history. The current low-water mark is 21 wins, set last season.

Highlights:

Marcus Smart with the buzzer-beater:

Jordan, lift-off:

Just this in: Dwyane Wade's still got it:

Stud of the night:

Magic power forward Aaron Gordon continues to take advantage of his recent promotion into the starting lineup. After recording at least nine points and nine rebounds in each of his last three games, Gordon scored 19 points with 14 rebounds in a 119-114 win against Boston.

Dud of the night:

Suns small forward P.J. Tucker scored just two points with five rebounds and two turnovers in 42 minutes of action in a 91-78 loss to the Mavericks. This is just an abysmal stat line for the amount of minutes he was on the court. Normally we'd blame Suns coach Jeff Hornacek for not taking Tucker out of the game, but It's possible he forgot his struggling small forward was still out there. 

What's next (All times Eastern):

Cavaliers (34-12) at Pacers (25-22), 7 p.m. — Cleveland earned a huge win Saturday against the Spurs. Kevin Love and LeBron James look good in Tyronn Lue's new fast-paced offense, and Kyrie Irving is coming along. Myles Turner has emerged as a lethal threat in Indiana.

Wizards (21-24) at Thunder (36-13), 8 p.m. — Washington has been disappointing this season while struggling with injuries. Oklahoma City needs to get more production of guys like Enes Kanter and Serge Ibaka.

Alec Brzezinski