Mo Williams produces 4th quarter fireworks as Los Angeles Clippers rout Toronto Raptors: NBA Recap
Mo Williams came into the game on a hot scoring streak and after disappointing three quarters, the reserve guard exploded with 19 points in the final 12 minutes to finish the game with 26 points, leading the Los Angeles Clippers
to a 103-91 win over the fast regressing Toronto Raptors.
He however refused to take all the credit;
"I didn't do it by myself. I mean, let's get that straight," Williams said, "Anytime you're doing something, you're not doing it alone. You can't play one-on-five - not in this league. It might look like it because I'm the guy
making the baskets. But trust me, there's a lot of things that have to go on for me to get the ball in the right spots."
All the Clippers starters, except Chauncey Billups scored in double figures. The veteran point guard however chipped in with a game high 14 assists, including 9 in the first half.
DeAndre Jordan was on fire early. The Clippers centre pounded 10 points and 9 rebounds in the first quarter in which the Clippers reeled off a 13-0 run midway, for a 27-11 lead. He finished the game with 16 points and 16 rebounds.
Blake Griffin had 18 points and 9 rebounds while Caron Butler and Randy Foye had 15 apiece.
The Raps, who were playing their sixth consecutive game without their big Andrea Bargnani, committed more fouls (12) in the first 12 minutes then the points. They started the second quarter with an 11-2 run to close in at 22-29,
but the Clippers responded with a 10-4 run to restore their double digit lead.
The Toronto starters combined for a total of 33 points with only DeMar DeRozan as the saving grace with 15 points and 8 boards.
"Another loss - and the way we lost is definitely frustrating," DeRozan said after the Raptors lost their eight game in a row. "We dug ourselves our own hole. We tried to fight back, but teams are too good in this league to allow
that. Teams are going out there and jumping on our team. No one likes to take a loss, so we need to act like it from the start."
Leandro Barbosa led them with 19 off the bench while Linas Kleiza also had 16 for the Raps, who shot only 35.8 percent of their field shots as compared to a 48.6 percent shooting, including 8–of–19 from the long range, from the
Clippers.
Los Angeles went into the break with a 12 points lead and then put the game to bed early in the third with a 13-3 burst. The fourth period started with the Clippers leading by 76-58 and what followed was a total carnage by Mo Williams
in which he scored 17 straight points.
The Raptors had no answer to the Clippers onslaught, which marked the third game in which Williams has scored 25 or more points – his second such feat in the NBA career. The feat was off course made possible by the absence of Chris
Paul, who missed his fifth game in a row due to a hamstring injury.
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