Clippers win first road game by trouncing Pistons, 109-88
Blake Griffin put together his 14th consecutive double-double with 24 points and 17 rebounds, as the Los Angeles Clippers won their first road game this season with a
109-88 victory over the Detroit Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
Ryan Gomes scored 18 points, while Eric Gordon contributed 15 points and six assists for the Clippers.
Charlie Villanueva came off the bench to score a team-high 18 points and grab nine rebounds for Detroit. While Ben Gordon added 15 points and Tayshaun Prince chipped in
with 13 in the defeat.
Detroit head coach John Kuester said after the game, "We had looks but our energy level was not there. So, it is disappointing, very disappointing. I do not care who you
are playing, and I want to give the Clippers credit. They played harder, better, and smarter. We didn't do those things."
Story of the Game
If someone thought the Clippers were going to fall into a rut after being beaten by the Philadelphia 76ers in their previous game, then those people were wrong.
The Clippers thrashed the Pistons — and won for the first time in 12 matches on the road this season. Los
Angeles led in all four quarters of the game, took their chances well and limited their turnovers to cruise to their first road win since 25 March, 2010 when they beat Houston 99-93.
The Los Angeles Clippers scored on 11-of-19 from the floor to take a 25-19 lead after the first quarter. In
the second the Clippers found their rhythm offensively, and knocked down 11-of-20 for 56.4 percent shooting. The Clippers held a 51-46 advantage at half time.
Leading 59-56 early in the third quarter, the Clippers further extended their lead on a 14-0 run, with three minutes to go in the third.
Ryan Gomes told reporters, "We just came out aggressively tonight, but more importantly in the third quarter. That first five minutes of the third, we kind of turned it
up. We got stops, we got scores, and that is what opened the door for us and put more pressure on them to execute better. I think that everyone contributed on the offensive end but it is most important that we do well on the defensive end,"
The Clippers took an 80-62 edge into the fourth quarter, and took their lead upto 28 midway through the final session, and ended a 15-game skid away from home.
Pistons’ starting guards Richard Hamilton and Rodney Stuckey’s performance was not up to the mark, as they combined for just 10 points on 4-for-20 shooting, grabbed four
assists and committed five turnovers against the Clippers.
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