Final
Griffin, Clippers welcome Love, Wolves to LA
Jan 19, 2011 - 4:30 PM (Sports Network) - A pair of double-double machines will square off in Hollywood tonight when Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers welcome Kevin Love and his Minnesota Timberwolves to Staples Center.Griffin scored an NBA season-best 47 points to go along with 14 rebounds on Monday, as the Clippers topped the Indiana Pacers, 114-107, for their fifth straight home victory.
Griffin also accounted for his 27th consecutive double-double and broke his own record for points in a game by a Clippers rookie.
"Spectacular performance by Griffin," Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said. "We couldn't guard him, he was too much to handle."
Eric Gordon added 23 points and seven assists, while Baron Davis notched 14 points and 12 assists for LA, which has won five of six overall.
Griffin became just the third player in NBA history to record a game of 47 points and 14 boards while 21 or younger, joining Michael Jordan (49 and 15 in 1984-85) and Rick Barry (57 and 15 in 1965-66). The Oklahoma product is also just the second rookie over the past 25 seasons to record at least 45 points and 10 rebounds in a game with the other being Shaquille O'Neal back in 1993.
"I wanted to come out and execute," Griffin said. "It's fun to play well, but it's more fun to get the win. The way we've been playing as a team, it helps everyone right now."
The Wolves, meanwhile, fell to a dismal 2-20 on the road this season in Portland on Monday when LaMarcus Aldridge scored a career-high 37 points with 12 rebounds and the Portland Trail Blazers resumed their dominance of Minnesota with a 113-102 win at the Rose Garden.
Despite the loss, Love recorded his 28th consecutive double-double with 22 points and 17 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who have lost seven of eight overall. Darko Milicic had 22 points and eight rebounds.
"We got off to a really good start, then we go through these periods where we start trying to do too much and we turn the basketball over," said Minnesota head coach Kurt Rambis.
Love has an NBA-best 37 double-doubles this season, four more than Griffin, who holds down second place.
The Clippers snapped a two-game skid against the Wolves with a 113-90 rout at Staples Center on Dec. 20.
- MINNESOTA: 111
LOS ANGELES: 126
Final
Jan 20 1:11 AM - MINNESOTA: 79
LOS ANGELES: 92
End of 3rd
Jan 20 12:32 AM - MINNESOTA: 48
LOS ANGELES: 60
Halftime
Jan 19 11:43 PM - MINNESOTA: 19
LOS ANGELES: 29
End of 1st
Jan 19 11:07 PM
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