Clippers make it three wins in a row over Lakers this season

Clippers 125, Lakers 101 (final)

The Clippers dominated the Lakers on Thursday night, winning their third consecutive meeting this season against their Staples Center roommates.

After storming to a big lead with a 15-0 run in the first quarter, the Clippers eased back enough to let the Lakers close to within three points in the first half but it didn’t last.

Blake Griffin was on fire early with 18 first-quarter points, finishing with 22. Chris Paul led the Clippers with 24 points and 13 assists. Chauncey Billups added 21 points as the Clippers shot 51.7% from the field.

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 20 points. The Lakers shot the ball well from the field (50.7%) but couldn’t defend the three-point shot. The Clippers made 16 of 30 (53.3%) from long range.

Dwight Howard scored 18 points while Antawn Jamison contributed 18 off the bench.

The issue wasn’t getting points. The Lakers just couldn’t get stops.

Heading into the All-Star break, the Lakers’ record dips to 25-29.

The Clippers climb to 39-17.

Clippers 101, Lakers 80 (end of third quarter)

Whatever was working for the Lakers in the second quarter as they charged back to within three was completely absent in the third.

The Clippers pounded the Lakers with 37 points, their third consecutive quarter with more than 30 points.

Blake Griffin leads the Clippers with 22 points but the damage in the third was done on the perimeter by Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups, who have each scored 21 points. The Clippers shot 54.9% from the field and 51.9% from three (14 of 27).

The Lakers shot a strong 53.4% from the field, with 18 points from Kobe Bryant, 17 from Antawn Jamison and 16 from Dwight Howard. They just couldn’t stop the Clippers’ three-point shooting.

The Clippers have made 10 more three-pointers than the Lakers, led by Billups with five.

Clippers 64, Lakers 52 (halftime)

The Lakers fought back with a strong effort in the second quarter. Taking advantage of the Clippers in the paint and on the boards, the Lakers closed to within three points.

As quickly as they closed the gap, the Lakers had four consecutive turnovers and some sharp-shooting by the Clippers pushed the lead right back to 14.

Matt Barnes hit a three-pointer with 1.6 seconds left before halftime to keep the Clippers ahead by double-digits to end the half.

Blake Griffin led all scorers with 20 points -- he had 18 of those in the first quarter. The Clippers shot 54.3% from the field in the half.

The Lakers were led by Antawn Jamison’s 15 points on seven-for-11 shooting. Kobe Bryant added 14 points as the Lakers shot 48.8% from the field.

The difference for the Clippers was their three-point shooting (seven of 15), helping to overcome a 32-18 Lakers scoring advantage in the paint.

Clippers 31, Lakers 17 (end of first quarter)

The Clippers blasted the Lakers early, scoring 15 consecutive points to open their battle Thursday night at Staples Center.

Blake Griffin outscored the Lakers by himself with 18 points on nine-for-10 shooting. The Clippers as a team shot 56% from the field.

The Lakers finally got going when Steve Nash banked in a jumper with 6:50 left in the opening quarter.

Kobe Bryant scored eight points on four-of-five shooting, but the Lakers made only 33.3% of their shots from the field.

Pregame

The Lakers (25-28) host the Clippers (38-17) for one final game before the All-Star break.

The Clippers are arguably the deepest team in the league. They’re talented and finally have a full contingent of healthy players.

With eight wins in their last 11 games, the Lakers hope to get their first win in three tries against the Clippers.

For a more in-depth breakdown, check out Preview: Lakers at Clippers.

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Email Eric Pincus at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.