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BOSTON – Doc Rivers’ second return to Boston was a blowout success, as the Los Angeles Clippers blew the gates open and never relented. J.J. Redick had a game-high 27 points in 28 minutes on 11-for-15 shooting (5-for-7 from deep) as the Clippers won 119-106.
Reddick, who was running around the locker room before the game whispering, "Go Duke!" to anything with a pair of ears, went on a tear from downtown in the first half. With the Clippers up 67-43 at the half, they continued to pound the Celtics into submission, reaching the 90-point mark in the first five minutes of the third quarter.
Although DeAndre Jordan’s free throw shooting was borderline catastrophic, he had enough posterizations to fill a Ball is Life video. He finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds.
The Celtics made the obligatory blowout run in the fourth quarter, making it as close as 11 after a 15-2 run was snapped by a Matt Barnes offensive rebound and basket. The Celtics employed the "Hack-a-Jordan" strategy to great success, as he shot 3-for-15 from the line. But as the Celtics approached a single-digit deficit, they allowed a pair of offensive rebounds off of Jordan’s second missed free throw that led to points and a reversal of momentum.
It seemed that the Celtics run would be endless, until a medical emergency to a fan sitting next to the Clippers’ bench brought a stop to the game. Thankfully, the patient appeared to be conscious as they were carted out of the court area. The Celtics went back to sending Jordan to the line, but couldn’t close the deal.
Chris Paul’s steady control over the game helped enhance his MVP credentials, as he scored 21 points on just 5-for-9 shooting, but went 3-for-4 from three-point range and hit all eight of his free throws. Paul had a game-high 10 assists as well.