The Los Angeles Clippers ended their brief losing streak in a big way on Wednesday.

Boosted by the effort of seven players in double figures, a bench that scored 39 points and a defense that limited a Spurs squad that came in averaging 99 points per game to just 84, Los Angeles defeated San Antonio 106-84 at Staples Center.

Lamar pulled in two rebounds as the Clippers beat the previously unbeaten Spurs by 22 (Getty Images).

As he attempts to work his back from a lingering knee injury, Lamar Odom saw 10 minutes of action and snagged a pair of rebounds. He also swatted a shot and found Jamal Crawford for a killer three in the final quarter.

The victory was a statement for the Clips, who suffered disappointing back-to-back losses on Saturday and Monday to Golden State and Cleveland respectively. The win pushed LA up to 3-2 on the year, but the psychological impact was bigger for a Clippers team that was swept by the Spurs in the second round of last season's playoffs.

"When we come out to play, the sky is the limit for our team" said center DeAndre Jordan. "We tried to be aggressive with our intensity high."

The Clips are still building chemistry, but point guard Chris Paul believes a win against a disciplined team like the Spurs, with an emphasis on defense, will pay huge dividends in the long term.

"The one thing we said before we went out there was, 'Let's have some fun tonight.' It's fun to stop teams because we see them get frustrated. We know how we look when we get frustrated."

The victory seemed to spur Los Angeles on into the second half of a back-to-back on Thursday night in Portland. They came out hot and outscored the Blazers 60-39 in the first half on the way to a 103-90 victory. In six minutes, Lamar grabbed two more rebounds and the Clippers were +6 with him on the floor.

NEXT UP
After the quick trip north, the Clippers return home and get a few days to rest before they return to the Staples Center hardwood on Sunday afternoon against Atlanta. 

In 24 career games against the Hawks, Lamar has averages of 14.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and four assists per games.

Sunday's matinee is scheduled for a 12:30 p.m. tip and the game can be seen on Prime Ticket.

RELATED LINKS

• Clippers Postgame Videos (NBA.com, November 8 2012) 
• Clippers Pummel Spurs (The Sports Network, November 8 2012)
• Clippers Send Spurs to First Loss of Season (LA Times, November 8 2012) 
• Clippers Dig in Their Heels, Rout Spurs (LA Daily News, November 7 2012)

• Add new comment