Clippers 97 - 104 Warriors
Final
  for this game

Warriors pull away late against Clippers

Feb 21, 2012 - 7:22 AM Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Monta Ellis scored 32 points and the Golden State Warriors finished on a 9-0 run Monday night to beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 104-97, and snap a three-game losing streak.

David Lee added 24 points and 13 rebounds in the win while Ekpe Udoh had a career-high 19 points and eight boards in his first start of the season.

The Warriors held LA scoreless for the final three-plus minutes. Brandon Rush knocked down a three-pointer for a 98-97 lead, sparking a game-ending run that was marked by big plays on both sides of the court.

Chris Paul scored 24 points for the Clippers, but none in the fourth quarter. He missed a jumper early in Golden State's run and had another shot from the foul line blocked by Dominic McGuire.

Blake Griffin threw the ball out of bounds near the end after coming up with an offensive rebound and finished with 21 points and nine boards.

The Warriors surged, snapping a two-game losing streak to the Clippers in a frantic finish.

After Rush's three-pointer and a Paul miss, Ellis drained a floater to give Golden State a 100-97 lead. Udoh went down on the play, grabbing his left knee after Ellis hit the shot.

The center was going to be looked at, but Warriors coach Mark Jackson said he played well enough to warrant a look as an everyday starter.

"He was great, absolutely great," said Jackson. "I think he rushed a jump shot once and I told him, but he was great."

McGuire, subbed in by Jackson late in the game, stuck with Paul's dribble and was all over him at the line as the talented guard pulled up for a jumper. He got a piece of it, and Curry made a pair of free throws at the other end for a five-point lead with 54.8 seconds remaining.

Mo Williams, who scored 22 for LA, then bricked a three-point try off the back of the rim. Griffin snagged the rebound and had the ball in the backcourt, but threw it out of bounds on the left side.

Curry, who scored 11 points, dribbled the shot clock down at the other end, slipping in and out of defenders before finding Nate Robinson, who bolted into the lane and dropped a one-handed floater in to make it 104-97 with 19.1 ticks remaining.

Paul was 0-for-4 in the fourth and the Clippers shot 39.1 percent as a team in the quarter. They shot 42.9 percent for the game. The Warriors shot 45.8 percent in the game, including 52.9 percent in the fourth quarter.

The Warriors led 29-23 after the first quarter and the game was tied 56-56 at halftime. Golden State took a 77-74 lead into the fourth. Williams scored the Clippers' final points on a jumper with 3:15 remaining that made it 97-95.

"We have to put teams away...play with a sense of urgency," Griffin said. "We can't coast the whole game and expect to win at the end."

Game Notes

The Clippers, who were coming off an overtime loss to the Spurs on Saturday, dropped back-to-back games for the first time since December 28 and 30 -- their second and third games of the season...The Warriors start a six-game road trip Wednesday at Phoenix.






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