Clippers Take First Preseason Game with Lakers, 114-95

The refurbished Clippers lived up to the hype Monday night, delivering high-flying dunks, emasculating blocks, and a 114-95 statement win against the Lakers in their first game of the preseason.

The Lakers-Clippers sibling rivalry was alive and well Monday night, as they battled for the hearts of Angelinos and the coveted spotlight of the historically rich Los Angeles basketball scene Monday, in the first of two preseason match-ups.

Watching the teams feel each other out while simultaneously learning how to operate within their new lineups made for an exciting first half, as they engaged in an old fashioned shootout. Trading buckets and the lead as Kobe and Billups took charge of their offenses.

Both teams took their shots at executing alley-oops, embracing the new title “lob-city,” bestowed upon Los Angeles by Blake Griffin following the acquisition of Chris Paul. Josh McRoberts became the unlikely recipient of the highlight oop of the night, when Kobe dished him an electrifying no looker for the sauce. Kobe led all scorers with 15 points at halftime keeping the Lakers within five despite sloppy play.

The opening of the third quarter made for some interesting play, as the teams began to jack up three pointers in defiance of smart basketball. Even Gasol got his furry Spanish beak wet, hitting a trey of his own with 10 minutes left in the third quarter.

Twenty three pointers in all were drained during the game, which we can only imagine has resulted in the explosion of Ralph Lawler. However, the excitement was short lived as the Lakers began to falter, committing far too many turnovers throughout the remainder of the game allowing the Clippers to seal the win by the end of the third. In total the Lakers had an abysmal 21 turnovers, which the Clips impressively converted into 29 points.

Chris Paul was pulled from the game in the third, finishing with a sneaky yet spectacular stat line of seven rebounds, nine assists, five steals, and 17 points earning his first 4 by 5 as a Clipper and flirting with a triple double.

Regardless of the score, Lakers head coach Mike Brown treated the game as if it were midseason, playing some of his starters 30 plus minutes, and using multiple timeouts to instruct the team. (A refreshing change for Laker fans.)

“There were a few bright spots, but not many because of how bad we were defensively,” said Brown following the game.

While the Lakers may have been shaking away some off season rust, that shouldn’t detract from the Clippers great game. Along with Paul, Chauncey Billups stole the show. Going 4-6 from the three point line, 9-9 from the stripe and finishing with a game high 23 points. Seems like Chauncey has come a long way from his amnesty antics. If he can establish himself as the leader of the team, the Clippers may have a chance of going deep into the playoffs this season.

“Overall I think our effort was great,” said Paul following the win.

The Lakers and Clippers will meet again Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. on the Clippers home floor to close out the preseason for both teams.

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Tags: Blake Griffin, Chauncey Billups, Chris Paul, Josh McRoberts, Kobe Bryant, Mike Brown