Halloween may be in the rear view mirror, but not even a rainy and spooky Friday the 13th could scare the Los Angeles Clippers.
A three-point play from guard Darius Garland was just enough to secure a thrilling one-point victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, 113-112, at the Intuit Dome.
Late in the fourth, the Clippers crawled back from a four-point deficit, backed by the last-minute performance by Garland. After his three-point play, both teams missed a series of shots. The final attempt at a dramatic road victory came with two seconds left, when Thunder guard and former Clipper Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed a 21-foot jump shot that would have secured the win, in front of a near-sellout crowd of 17,927.
“I told my guys, just win the game no matter what happens, whatever it takes, just win the game,” Clippers Coach Tyronn Lue said. “I’m just proud the guys got down six, then to come back and win that game was a huge win for us.”
With both teams short-handed early in the season, the Thunder were without key players including center Chet Holmgren, guard Jalen Williams and forward Cason Wallace.
The Clips spread the wealth in scoring. Center Brook Lopez led the offensive charge, tabbing a season-high 26 points on 11-21 shooting from the field. Garland followed with 24 points and 7 assists, while limiting his early season issues with turnovers to just 3 in 37 minutes.
Rookie guard Keaton Wagler and forward Derrick Jones Jr. each had 14 points. It was guard Gradey Dick, however, that became a shining light for the Clippers. Dick scored 10 of his points in the fourth quarter to close the scoring gap, knocking down a 25-foot three pointer and a slam dunk.
“Gradey [Dick] has been really good for us. He brings a lot of energy to our entire team,” Garland said. “He’s super active defensively and he’s a great cutter off the ball as well.”
Fouls plagued the Clipper offense early. Three consecutive fouls in the first quarter allowed Gilgeous-Alexander to find his rhythm at the free-throw line, as the Clippers struggled to stop their former lottery pick.
Gilgeous-Alexander shot 8-11 from the line en route to his third 40-point game of the young season, including 15-for-26 shooting from the floor. Guard Jared McCain, who played locally at Corona Centennial High School, lit up the Thunder offense in the second half. He scored 23 points, setting a new career high, as he finds his flow with backcourt mate Gilgeous-Alexander.
Turnovers have been an Achilles’ heel for the Clippers this season. But in Friday’s matchup, the Clips only committed 11, while forcing 12 out of the Thunder. With the loss, the Thunder remained winless at 0-3 on their West Coast trip, with a game at Sacramento still left.
“We’ve come up empty in these games on the trip, but it’s not through lack of effort or lack of competitive spirit, or lack of team connection,” Thunder Coach Mark Daigneault said.
As the Clippers move to 3-8, they will look to build on their momentum Sunday at the Intuit Dome as they face the Charlotte Hornets.