LA Clippers Slip Up To Cavs In Cleveland

LeBron James led the Cavaliers to a statement victory over the LA Clippers three days after their worst loss of the season.

Despite another stellar performance by Chris Paul, the Clippers were unable to overcome a big performance from the Cavaliers who controlled the entire second half.

Both teams put on a competitive contest in the first half that was punctuated by a 12-2 run by the Cavaliers.

Late in the third quarter, the Cavs employed the Hack-A-Jordan strategy to slow down the offensive pace of the Clippers.

Out of rhythm, the Clippers were outworked on the defensive end and the Cavaliers finished the quarter with a 16 point lead.

The fourth quarter was a back-and-fourth contest.

The Clippers went on an 8-0 run, aided by the fact that Cleveland’s home-coming king was on the bench.

The closest the Clippers came to erasing the deficit was six points at the 6:36 mark before the Cavaliers returned to their Hack-A-Jordan strategy.

The Cavaliers went on an 11-1 run in the ensuing minutes that was sparked by James who provided all four assists for the field goals made in that span.

After the game, Craig Sager spoke with James on employing the Hack-A-Jordan strategy and James responded by stating that while it was part of the strategy of the game, it the teams’ sense of urgency that led to the victory.

Three days after being decimated at home by the Golden State Warriors, the Cavaliers responded in their big test against the Clippers with an efficient performance across the board.

All five of the Cavaliers starters were in double-figures by the end of the third quarter.

LeBron James, per usual, led the way with 22 points and 12 assists.  Earlier in the evening it was announced that James would be making his 12th straight All Star Game appearance as a starter for the East.

Kyrie Irving finished the night with 21 points.  Kevin Love put on a stellar performance with 18 points and 16 rebounds, notably acting very Cavalier.

J.R. Smith had 22 points and went 6-7 from beyond the three point line.

For the Clippers, Chris Paul out-played both Irving and Matthew Dellavedova with 30 points and 9 assists and shot above 50% from the field.

More from LA Sports Hub

• Lakers: 5 Players to Target Through Trades to make another championship run
• LA Chargers: Week 8 against Denver Broncos is a must-win
• LA Rams: Jared Goff wants to keep the Los Angeles title streak going
• Lakers Rumors: Los Angeles Clippers interested in Rajon Rondo
• LA Chargers: Justin Herbert wins AFC Rookie of the Month

DeAndre Jordan had a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.  It was his performance from the free-throw line, going 6-15, that allowed Cleveland to remain ahead for the second half of the game.

J.J. Redick finished the night with 17 while Jamal Crawford had 16 to round out the stat sheet.

The loss is only the second for the team in the month of January and they remain in the fourth position in the Western Conference.  The loss instead highlights the issue that they remain without a victory over a top-three team in either conference.

While the team will undoubtedly be bolstered by the return of Blake Griffin to the squad, it remains confounding that they have been unable to outperform the top teams in the NBA thus far.

Next: J.J. Redick Is The New X-Factor In LA

Griffin is expected to return within the next two weeks.  In that span the Clippers are facing the Knicks, Raptors, Pacers, and Hawks.