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Paul leads Clippers over Kings

Mar 2, 2012 - 7:10 AM Sacramento, CA (Sports Network) - Chris Paul led six Clippers in double figures with 22 points to go along with nine assists, as Los Angeles used a big second half to down Sacramento, 108-100, on Thursday.

Mo Williams donated 18 points with five assists, Blake Griffin added 14 points and nine rebounds, and Caron Butler contributed 13 points for the Clippers, who have won two of three.

The Clippers, of course, are becoming one of the best alley-oop teams in the league -- Paul-to-Griffin is a common sight -- and Paul said he's been getting easy layups because opponents are so scared he's going to throw a lob pass.

"The dunks are all good and well, but at the end of the day it's all about wins and losses," said Paul.

DeMarcus Cousins led Sacramento with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Marcus Thornton posted 18 points. Tyreke Evans also scored 18 points with six rebounds for the Kings, who saw their brief two-game winning streak come to an end.

"This is one of the top teams in the league and you have to play a perfect game," said Kings coach Keith Smart. "I thought we played a perfect game for about five minutes here and there. Once we didn't do that, the game got away from us."

The two teams traded blows in the first quarter with the Clippers holding a 28-25 edge heading into the second. Los Angeles opened a 40-30 lead on the heels of eight straight points capped by a pair of free throws from Eric Bledsoe, but Sacramento stormed back with eight in a row of its own to draw back within two.

Francisco Garcia's triple with just under five minutes on the clock knotted the game at 44, and the Kings went up by eight on back-to-back Jimmer Fredette long balls that postmarked an 11-0 run. The Clippers then scored eight straight of their own with Paul's triple squaring it at 52.

The Clippers tallied the first eight out of the locker room to take a 65-57 lead, but again the Kings got up off the floor and stormed back to tie the game at 72-72 on Thornton's bank shot with just over six minutes left in the stanza.

The runs continued, but the next one by the Clippers swung the game's momentum in their direction. Randy Foye's layup off a fastbreak capped an 11-0 burst for an 83-72 lead, and the margin stood at six points, 85-79, entering the final period.

The Clippers extend their edge out to 97-83 on the second of consecutive threes by Williams, and the Kings never got closer than their final eight- point deficit.

Game Notes

Foye scored 16 points and Bobby Simmons added 13 for the victors...Fredette contributed 11 points with three treys and Isaiah Thomas added 10 points, five rebounds and four assists for the Kings...The Clippers have won four of five meetings this season.