Five takeaways from the Clippers' 114-89 win over the Lakers

Five takeaways from the Clippers’ 114-89 win over the Lakers

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Clippers forward Blake Griffin is wrapped up by Lakers center Robert Sacre. Griffin finished with 27 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in the Clippers’ 114-89 win over the Lakers in January. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

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Chris Paul had 24 points with 11 assists as the Clippers rolled the Lakers, 114-89, at Staples Center.

(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

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Tarik Black had five points with three rebounds in 11 minutes for the Lakers in a loss to the Clippers, 114-89, on Wednesday at Staples Center. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

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Lakers forward Ed Davis goes for the block against Clippers forward Blake Griffin during a game Wednesday at Staples Center. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

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Lakers guard Jeremy Lin tries to defend against Clippers forward Matt Barnes during the first half of a game Wednesday at Staples Center. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

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Matt Barnes, left, tries to block a pass intended for Kobe Bryant during the Clippers’ 114-89 win over the Lakers at Staples Center in January. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

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Jordan Farmar looks to pass over Wayne Ellington during the Clippers’ 114-89 win over the Lakers at Staples Center. Farmar had five points with one assist and one steal. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

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Blake Griffin goes up to block a shot from Ed Davis during the Clippers’ 114-89 win Wednesday over the Lakers at Staples Center. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

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The Clippers bench has a little fun with Nick Young as they enjoyed a big lead late in the fourth quarter of their 114-89 win over the Lakers. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

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Blake Griffin sits on the bench during the fourth quarter of the Clippers’ 114-89 victory Wednesday over the Lakers at Staples Center. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

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Spencer Hawes shoots over Ed Davis during the Clippers’ 114-89 win over the Lakers on Wednesday at Staples Center. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

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Blake Griffin puts up a shot in front of Lakers forward Carlos Boozer during the Clippers’ 114-89 win. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

By Melissa Rohlin

Jan. 8, 2015 7:30 AM PT

Here are five takeaways from the Clippers’ 114-89 win over the Lakers on Wednesday evening.

1. Is it a Clippers town? The Clippers won five consecutive games and nine of their last 10 against the Lakers. How lopsided was this win? The Clippers led by as many as 43 points. Big wins over the Lakers are almost becoming a trend for the Clippers. In March, the Clippers beat the Lakers by 48 points, dealing them their worst loss in franchise history. The Lakers still have one big edge though -- they’ve won 16 NBA championships while the Clippers haven’t won any.

2. Kobe Bryant has a nonexistent shooting night. Bryant had four points on two-for-12 shooting from the field on Wednesday. Sure he’s been playing the facilitator role lately, and he finished with seven assists against the Clippers, but just four points? Even Tarik Black scored more points than Bryant (five points).

Said Bryant: “I was trying to rush things, change momentum to get us back in a little bit, but I didn’t play any different than I normally play.”

3. Steve Ballmer should’ve been a dancer. After the first quarter, Fergie surprised Staples Center crowd with a live performance. She took the court and sang and, well, Ballmer went nuts. He flailed his arms and twitched his legs to the music from his courtside seat near the Clippers’ bench. It was an incredible site to behold.

Said Matt Barnes: “You can’t have everything. You can’t have money and moves.”

4. The Clippers’ moved the ball well. The Clippers finished with 29 assists on their 40 field goals. Each of the Clippers’ starters scored in double figures, and every player scored except for Ekpe Udoh. Blake Griffin had 27 points on nine for 13 shooting and Chris Paul had 24 points on nine for 15 shooting. No one on the Lakers scored more than 14 points.

“It was just beautiful to watch,” Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said of his team’s ball movement.

5. The Clippers controlled their turnovers. After finishing with 21 turnovers in their loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, the Clippers kept much better control of the ball on Wednesday, finishing with just six. No one on the team had more than one turnover, including Chris Paul, who had just one turnover in 31 minutes and 12 seconds. The Lakers, on the other hand, finished with 13 turnovers, six of which were committed by Bryant.

Follow Melissa Rohlin on Twitter @melissarohlin

Five takeaways from the Clippers’ 114-89 win over the Lakers

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