Griffin notches triple-double as Clippers rout Bucks
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Blake Griffin recorded his first triple- double of the season to lead the Los Angeles Clippers over the Milwaukee Bucks, 117-101, at Staples Center.
Griffin finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists and threw down an exclamation point on his all-around effort with another sensational dunk during a game-sealing run in the fourth quarter.
Matt Barnes made six 3-pointers en route to a 20-point effort, Jamal Crawford chipped in 25 points and Chris Paul added 14 points and nine assists for the Clippers, who were coming off a home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Milwaukee had four won in a row coming in, but allowed the Clippers to shoot 54 percent from the field while getting outscored in the paint by a 52-36 margin.
Monta Ellis scored 18 of his 22 points in the first half, Ersan Ilyasova followed with 20 points and Brandon Jennings donated 18 with 12 assists in the loss.
"They put pressure on us the entire game," Bucks head coach Jim Boylan said. "In the fourth quarter we can usually stay with teams, but not tonight."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A high-paced first quarter ended with the Clippers holding a 34-32 lead, and as the Bucks' efficient shooting cooled off slightly in the second, LA continued to light up the scoreboard.
Barnes hit three of the Clippers' five 3-pointers in the frame, and Crawford drained another just before the buzzer for a 66-58 lead at the break.
The Bucks scored seven straight points late in the third and pulled within 85-82, but Paul drove in for a layup and made two free throws in the final minute to give the Clippers a seven-point edge heading into the fourth.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It was a five-point game before the hosts pulled away on a 15-3 run. Barnes connected twice from long range during flurry, and Griffin sealed it with a windmill slam off a between-the-legs pass from Crawford.
"I didn't know what I was going to do. I tried to be creative and Blake took it to another level," Crawford said.
Game Notes
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Griffin has three career triple-doubles ... Milwaukee is 1-12 against the Clippers in LA since the 2000-01 season ... Bucks center Larry Sanders scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds, but had his streak of at least one block end at 40 games.