Miami, FL (Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Clippers had their starting core
together for the first time in more than two months, and the lack of court
time together showed.
LeBron James and the Miami Heat spoiled the return to action for Chris Paul,
Blake Griffin and Chauncey Billups, with the reigning NBA MVP racking up 30
points in just 31 minutes to lead the defending champions to a 111-89 rout of
the struggling Clippers at American Airlines Arena.
James added six assists while going 9-of-11 from the field and 4-of-5 from 3-
point range, while Dwyane Wade shook off a flu bug to record 20 points and
seven assists in a game the Heat dominated from the second quarter on.
Wade was questionable to play in the contest due to the illness, which
rendered both All-Star center Chris Bosh and top bench option Ray Allen
inactive.
Neither was needed in this one, however, as Miami made 52.9 percent of its
field goal attempts and knocked down 15 shots from beyond the arc en route to
a fourth straight win -- with James putting up at least 30 points in each of
those victories.
Mario Chalmers accounted for five of the Heat's triples in an 18-point effort,
with Shane Battier hitting four on five tries while finishing with 12 points.
Paul returned from a nine-game absence caused by a bone bruise in his right
knee, but managed just three points on 1-of-5 shooting in 20 minutes. Billups,
playing for the first time since early December due to an inflamed tendon in
his left foot, had seven points in 16 minutes.
Griffin, who had sat out Los Angeles' last two outings with a hamstring
injury, made 5-of-7 field goals in a 13-point performance that wasn't nearly
enough to prevent the Clippers from their fourth setback in five games.
DeAndre Jordan paced Los Angeles with 17 points, with Jamal Crawford netting
13 in defeat.
The Sports Network