Chris Paul delivers in the clutch to push Los Angeles Clippers past Detroit Pistons in O.T: NBA Recap
Los Angeles Clippers star point guard Chris Paul dropped 19 points, including nine in overtime, handed out a season-high 15 assists and nearly missed a triple double with 8 rebounds to carry his side to an 87-83 victory over the
Detroit Pistons on Sunday.
Blake Griffin was also huge with 17 points and 11 rebounds and Randy Foye had 14. This was the second time in as many games that the Clippers were stretched to overtime - the first was the game against the Houston Rockets - and
on both occasion CP3 made the difference down the stretch.
On the night, after Griffin made a tip-in late to tie the game at 74, Paul made a crucial steal to give the Clippers one final shot at the win. He was however guilty of missing a potential game-winning three.
In the extra five minutes though, he more than made up for it.
Nearly two minutes inside the period, Paul made a jumper and after Greg Monroe responded with a layup, he drilled down a triple to give the Clips an 82-76 edge. The Piston fired right back with six unanswered points, only to see
Paul connect on another mid range jumper to give his side the lead for good.
Monroe finished the game with 23 points and 15 rebounds while Tayshaun Prince scored 20 points, who blew a 9 point fourth quarter lead to go 16-29 in the season.
The Pistons however were not the only one who blew a big lead. Early in the game, the Clippers reeled off an 8-nothing spurt to take a 24-14 lead, but then gave up a 14-2 opening to the Pistons to surrender the lead. Deep into
the second quarter, the Pistons stretched their advantage to 37-32 and managed a 41-38 lead at halftime.
Griffin and Foye combined to put the Clips ahead by 1, 42-41, but an 11-2 ensuing run again took them aback yet again. By the time, the teams entered the final 12 minutes, the Pistons were comfortably placed at 57-65.
Los Angeles made it a five point game at the start of the fourth, but the Pistons consecutively netted two of only their field goals in the frame to again take the lead to nine. In the following passage, the Clippers bounced back
with a 9-1 burst and then kept the Pistons scoreless in the last 2:05 to take the game into overtime.
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