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Randolph dominates again to lead Clippers over Pacers

Dec 20, 2008 - 5:03 AM By Chris Nelsen PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Zach Randolph is quietly turning into a legitimate go-to guy for the Los Angeles Clippers. The talented journeyman continued his hot streak with 34 points and 16 boards to lead his new team to a 117-109, double-overtime victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday.

Acquired last month in the high-profile deal that sent Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley to the New York Knicks, Randolph has been a force over the last month. He now has four 30-point showings in his last five games. Not coincidentally, the Clippers have won four of five.

"We have good players and I'm just trying to bring whatever I can to this team," Randolph said. "That's aggressive rebounding and scoring the basketball and offensive rebounds. I try to play like that every night."

Clippers head coach Mike Dunleavy said Randolph has brought a new energy to the team.

"He competes every night, every possession he's out there working his tail off," Dunleavy said. "He's been doing a great job for us."

However, it was his teammates that did the heavy lifting in the second overtime session to seal the win.

Al Thornton opened up the frame with a go-ahead jumper, then added a pair of free throws to give L.A. a four-point cushion. With just over a minute left and the Clippers nursing a four-point lead, Indianapolis native Eric Gordon buried a 3-pointer and the Pacers could never recover.

"I was missing all game, so I was glad I hit that last shot," said Gordon, who finished with 15 points on 5-of-13 shooting. He attended nearby Indianapolis North Central High School and played at Indiana University.

The Pacers pulled back to within five on Rasho Nesterovic's bucket, but Baron Davis hit three free throws in the closing seconds for the final margin of victory. Indiana dropped to 0-4 in overtime games this season.

"We couldn't make some plays down the stretch, and it's a game we had and let get away from us," Pacers guard T.J. Ford said. "Right now, overtime has not been good to us."

Thornton finished with 25 points, Marcus Camby added 20 and 12 rebounds and Baron Davis scored 18 for the Clippers (8-18), who also won a double-overtime game at Portland on December 12.

"Our chemistry is getting better game by game," Gordon said. "We've been playing a lot tougher games here of late. We're just riding along and I hope we can get more wins."

It was Thornton's 3-pointer with six seconds left in regulation that tied the score at 97-97 and sent the game to an extra session. Indiana had taken a three-point lead on Jack's two free throws.

In the first overtime, the Pacers took a 105-103 advantage on Brandon Rush's 3-pointer with 1:36 left. Randolph tied the score later with a pair of free throws.

Both teams had a chance to win in the closing moments, but Jack missed a jumper with 15 seconds left and Davis misfired on the other end on the Clippers' final possession of the period.

"I think it just comes down to who wants it," Rush said. "The other team brings it and we don't match their intensity at the end of games."

The Pacers put a shorthanded lineup on the floor, as starters Danny Granger, Troy Murphy and Marquis Daniels were all out due to a viral infection.

"We try to take advantage when guys are out," Randolph said. "We have to come out, play hard and try to bury the team."

The Clippers, meanwhile, played without Ricky Davis (sore left knee) and Chris Kaman (strained left arch) and lost Mike Taylor in the third quarter with a fractured right thumb.

Jack had 27 points and seven assists, Ford scored 17 and rookie Roy Hibbert added 16, eight rebounds and five blocks for the Pacers (9-17).

"Our team really played their hearts out," Indiana coach Jim O'Brien said. "It feels bad to leave the building with a loss."

After trailing by as many as 10 points in the first half, the Clippers took their first lead of the game, 54-53, on Camby's dunk early in the third quarter. Indiana tied it up at 69-69, but Thornton's free throw gave the Clippers a 70-69 lead entering the final quarter.

They maintained their lead for most of the fourth before the Pacers pulled ahead with an 8-2 run with less than two minutes left in regulation.