Paul Has 33, Outplays Westbrook as Clippers Beat Thunder
Chris Paul had 33 points and nine assists, and J.J. Redick added 25 points as the Los Angeles Clippers beat Oklahoma City 120-108 on Wednesday, ending the Thunder's seven-game home winning streak.
DeAndre Jordan had 18 points and 17 rebounds for the Clippers, who are fighting for a top-four seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Oklahoma City is battling to merely make the field and fell a half-game behind the New Orleans Pelicans in the race for the final playoff spot.
Both teams are playing for extended stretches without their superstar forwards: Kevin Durant for the Thunder, Blake Griffin for the Clippers. In their absence, Paul fared better than his point guard counterpart, Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook, who triple-doubles in five of Oklahoma City's previous six games, finished with 24 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and a career-high 10 turnovers.
Golden State's Klay Thompson reached the 5,000-point milestone and knocked down two late 3-pointers in a 1:09 span to lead the Warriors past the Detroit Pistons 105-98 for their fifth straight win.
Thompson finished with 27 points on 11-for-19 shooting in the Warriors' 51st victory — matching their total from last season — and their eighth straight against Detroit.
Andre Drummond had a career-high 27 rebounds — 17 offensive — to go with 22 points in the Pistons' eighth straight loss.
In Denver, Danilo Gallinari had 23 points and Will Barton added 16 as the Nuggets beat Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta 115-102 for their eighth straight home win over the Hawks.
Kyle Korver had 18 points to lead Atlanta. He hit five 3-pointers to give him 1,697 in his career and move him past Kobe Bryant (1,694) for 12th in NBA history.
The Boston Celtic ended a five-game losing streak to the Memphis Grizzlies 95-92 after Marcus Smart converted a go-ahead, three-point play with 52 seconds left and Avery Bradley added a vital jump shot with 8 seconds remaining.
Bradley scored 17 points to help the Celtics win their second in a row as they chase a playoff spot.
Dwyane Wade had 28 points and nine assists for Miami and Chris Andersen equaled a career high with 18 points and set a season high with 14
Goran Dragic added 17 points in his return to the Miami lineup.
In other games, Aaron Brooks scored seven of his season-high 31 points in overtime to help short-handed Chicago Bulls beat the Philadelphia 76ers 104-95, LaMarcus Aldridge had 26 points and 14 rebounds as the Portland Trail Blazers held off the Houston Rockets 105-100, the Phoenix Suns downed the Minnesota Timberwolves 106-97, the Sacramento Kings beat the Charlotte Hornets 113-106 and the Milwaukee Bucks were 97-91 winners over the Orlando Magic.
Source: Associated Press, Agence France Presse
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