THE FACT: Clippers point guard Chris Paul joined LeBron James of the Heat as the only active players with a 40-point, 15-assist game.
THE LEAD: Paul had a night unlike any other in his NBA career, great enough to cast a shadow over another tremendous shooting effort by Stephen Curry of the Warriors and just enough to lead the Clippers to a 126-115 victory Thursday at Staples Center. Paul finished with 42 points, one shy of his career high, 15 assists and six steals to edge out Curry and his 38-point performance, which was bolstered by 9-for-14 shooting from 3-point range.
THE STAT: Paul is the first NBA player with at least 40 points, 15 assists and five steals since the league began recording steals in the 1973-74 season.
QUOTABLE: "He was awesome."
-- Clippers coach Doc Rivers on Paul
TURNING POINT: The Warriors scored the first five points of the second half to cut the deficit to eight and appeared in good position to further eat away at the lead after moving into the bonus situation with 5:51 left in the third quarter. But shortly afterward, in a span of 32 seconds, Blake Griffin dunked three consecutive lob passes from Paul in the middle of a 9-0 run to stretch the lead to 19. Behind the shooting of Curry, the Warriors crept back within eight points midway through the fourth quarter, but Paul and Griffin combined on a 7-2 spurt that put Golden State back in the hole for good.
HOT: Paul and Curry certainly rose the temperature inside Staples Center but a few of their teammates also had sizzling performances. Jamal Crawford came off the bench and scored 17 points for the Clippers, including 10 in the fourth quarter when the Warriors tried to make another run. Griffin made 9-for-12 shots and finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out with 3:53 left. As for the Warriors, they shot 52.6 percent from the floor for the game, led by a 6-for-7 night from center Andrew Bogut, who finished with 17 points before fouling out with 4:10 left.
NOT: A night after scoring 38 points in a double-digit win against the visiting Lakers, sharp shooter Klay Thompson of Golden State had trouble just getting off shots against the Clippers. He played the entire first quarter without managing a field-goal attempt and didn't get off his first shot until 5:04 remained in the first half. He ultimately finished with 10 points on 3-for-7 shooting and didn't provide much else, totaling one rebound and one assist in 39 minutes. Curry did have one glaring weakness against the Clippers. He committed 11 turnovers.
GOOD MOVE: Paul wasn't happy after committing his third turnover in the first 10 minutes, so he quickly stole the ball back from Draymond Green and then did something even more out of character, rising up for a one-handed dunk and a 28-21 lead. Clippers center DeAndre Jordan had the most impressive rebound of the night. Jared Dudley missed a 3-pointer from in front of the Clippers' bench with just over five minutes remaining in the first half. Jordan was camped out on the weak side when he went up and snagged the ball with one hand. Just as he feet hit the floor he rose back up and laid the ball in for L.A.'s biggest lead at the time, 51-40. Jordan finished with nine points and 17 rebounds.
BAD MOVE: Bogut committed his second foul and went to the bench with just under five minutes remaining in the first quarter, which helped Jordan collect seven rebounds in the opening 12 minutes. Bogut picked up his third foul with 2:50 left in the half and then received an elbow to the chest from Jordan in return, prompting a shove back from Bogut. Both players earned technical fouls for their actions. Jordan hasn't shown any improvement from the free-throw line this season. A career 42.4-percent shooter from the line, Jordan shot 3-for-12 from the stripe, including one of his patented air balls. Expect teams to continue fouling Jordan intentionally late in games as well. The Warriors did and Jordan missed all four attempts from the line.
QUOTABLE II: "He's just playing so well and doing so many things. I keep telling him, 'Don't let missed free throws sidetrack you. You've been one of the most dominant forces on the floor. ' "
-- Doc Rivers
NOTABLE: The last time Paul scored 40 points in a game was April 10, 2009 against Dallas (42). His career-high of 43 came against the Warriors seven days earlier. ... Golden State forward Marreese Speights made a half-court shot at the end of the first quarter, but replays showed it came after the horn.
UP NEXT: For the Clippers, Friday at Sacramento, Monday vs. Houston, Wednesday at Orlando. For the Warriors, Saturday vs. Sacramento, Monday at Philadelphia, Wednesday at Minnesota.
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