Clippers 92 - 87 Hornets
Final
  for this game

Griffin, Williams pace Clippers past Bobcats

Mar 8, 2011 - 4:31 AM Charlotte, NC (Sports Network) - Blake Griffin and Mo Williams each scored 17 points as the Los Angeles Clippers downed the struggling Charlotte Bobcats, 92-87, at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Griffin also had 15 rebounds and Williams chipped in seven assists for the Clippers, who have won three straight. Chris Kaman added 16 points and 10 boards in the win.

Eric Bledsoe added 13 points as LA played without leading scorer Eric Gordon, who aggravated a wrist injury during a 100-94 win over Denver on Saturday.

Gerald Henderson led the Bobcats with 20 points while Boris Diaw provided 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

Shaun Livingston came off the bench to score 17 points as Charlotte opened a three-game homestand with a loss and has dropped five straight, including a recent 0-4 road trip.

"We have to make baskets," Henderson said. "We just couldn't score. We played well, but we just have to execute."

The Bobcats went on a 9-2 run to start the third, but fell cold late in the same quarter.

That allowed the Clippers to embark on a 16-9 run to finish out the third. Randy Foye's three-three pointer ended the burst to put LA up 71-67 heading into the final frame.

LA couldn't get a comfortable lead in the fourth quarter, but did pull ahead by eight, 83-75, following Williams' driving layup. The Bobcats cut it to four twice during the final 30 seconds, but they never got any closer.

"We stepped it up in the second half," Clippers head coach Vinny Del Negro said. "We picked up our intensity."

During a tight first quarter, Griffin's two free throws with 53.1 seconds left gave the Clippers a 27-26 lead.

Diaw's drive and layup put the Bobcats up 43-49 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half. However, LA scored the next seven points capped by Griffin's empathic alley-oop dunk from Williams to go in front, 46-43.

The Clippers held onto a narrow 49-47 edge at the break.

Game Notes

Five-time Sprint Cup NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson was in attendance...Gordon is day-to-day with the wrist injury and did not travel with the team, which is on a five-game road trip...Bobcats guard Matt Carroll left the game with a left ankle sprain he suffered in the second quarter and did not return...Foye finished with 10 points in the win.






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