It was a much closer game at the beginning, but the Los Angeles Clippers pulled away late and ended up beating the Philadelphia 76ers by a final score of 127-91 at the Staples Center.
During the middle of the third quarter, the Clippers lead was only 67-63, but they pulled off a huge run late in the quarter and were up by fourteen points at the end of the frame. Glen Davis made a two-point shot with eight minutes left in the game and at this point the lead stretched to 22, and the starters were able to take the rest of the game off. Even Ekpe Udoh made two straight buckets for his first career points as a member of the Clippers.
Chris Paul finished the night with 24 points, 12 assists, and eight rebounds. But what was most impressive was the fact that he only turned the ball over one time throughout thirty minutes of action. That is a remarkable assist to turnover ratio for any point guard. But it was the 76ers' Tony Wroten who finished the night at the top of the scorers sheet, as he ended the game with 27 points, shooting 8-of-21 from the field, and he also knocked down 90 percent of his costless throw attempts.
The Clippers finished with just eight turnovers, while the 76ers finished with a whopping 21. This is really what did the visitors in, as the opposing team managed to score 32 points off of the turnovers, and the total differential was 36 when all was said and done. We all know that Philly is not going to do much for the rest of the season, but if they are going to get a few more wins this season, ball security will have to greatly improve. Los Angeles was able to physically dominate the visitors inside the paint, as Doc Rivers' squad racked up 42 points compared to the Sixers' 34, which is respectable in its own right.
The Atlanta Hawks, who are rolling right now, come into L.A. to play the Clippers on Monday evening. On the other hand, the lowly 76ers will travel back home to play the Cleveland Cavaliers the same evening.