National Basketball Association
L.A. Clippers 107, Orlando 93
When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, February 5, 2016
Where: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Officials: #56 Mark Ayotte, #42 Eric Lewis, #46 Ben Taylor
Attendance: 16647

ORLANDO -- The Los Angeles Clippers are doing just fine without All-Star Blake Griffin in the lineup. Everyone else is stepping up.

Chris Paul scored 21 points while Jamal Crawford and J.J. Redick each had 20, leading the Clippers to an easy 107-93 victory over the Orlando Magic on Friday night at the Amway Center.

The Clippers (33-17) led from start to finish, upping their record to 16-4 since Griffin left the lineup, first with strained quadricep tendon and then with a broken right hand. He may be one of the NBA's best, but Griffin's absence has hardly been felt. They were 17-13 with him playing this season.

"There is a sense of urgency," Paul said. "We're focused and everyone knows we have to stay that way. It's all about the wins and losses right now."

Paul, Crawford and Redick all scored above their season averages as the Clippers won for the fifth time in the last six games. The Magic (21-28) continued their downward slide, losing 15 of their last 17 games.

Center DeAndre Jordan had 12 points and a game-high 18 rebounds. Paul Pierce had 12 points. Reserve Lance Stephenson had 13 points in 19 minutes, making all six of his shots and providing a second-half spark.

"We're so deep on the bench that we can get things done," said Stephenson, who was averaging just 4.5 points. "We have a lot of guys who can play. Anywhere they put me on the floor, I can help this team. I feel like there is nobody in this league that can guard me."

Victor Oladipo led the Magic with 18 points. Reserve Evan Fournier had 16 points and six rebounds. Nikola Vucevic had 13 points and a team-high nine rebounds.

Tobias Harris had 13 points and eight rebounds before leaving early in the fourth quarter when he was hit in the face by Oladipo. Harris went to the locker room with a cut bleeding above his left eye and never returned.

The Magic made only four of 20 shots (20 percent) from 3-point range. They made only 34 of 81 shots (42 percent) from the field. They Clippers had a much easier time offensively, shooting 54 percent from the field (40 of 74). They made 22 turnovers but the Magic never capitalized on their mistakes.

"Our whole mantra this season has been that the defense has to carry us, and we've lost that side of the ball," Magic coach Scott Skiles said. "We're allowing people to attack us and get all the way to the rim. We're not protecting the rim."

The Clippers were coming off a disappointing loss at home Wednesday and looked determined to start this four-game East Coast trip on a positive note.

"You could see we made a concerted effort to get off to a good start tonight," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "Our starters were great tonight."

The Clippers have averaged 107.5 points in Griffin's absence, compared to just 102.1 points when he played. Crawford has averaged 20.6 points in his last five games. Stevenson has made 19 of 23 shots in the last five games. Things are clicking for the reserves.

The Magic never got closer than four points in the fourth quarter. After Oladipo cut the deficit to 79-75, Stephenson responded with a 3-point play and the Magic never serious challenged again.

The Magic did cut the deficit to two points late in the third period on a 3-pointer by reserve Mario Hezonja. But Stephenson Lance Stephenson scored at the buzzer for the 77-73 lead going into the fourth.

"If we don't pick up defensively, we're not going to win very much," Oladipo said. "We've just got to realize that's what wins games. It seems like when our offensive isn't going, then our defense stops working. We've got to get back our defense."

The Clippers had 14 turnovers in the first half, but they still led by as many 16 points in the second quarter. They led, 55-44, at intermission. Redick scored his team's first six points and had 14 by halftime, including a trio of 3-pointers.

The Clippers shot well early, too, making 20 of 34 shots (58.8 percent), while the Magic made just 18 of 48 (37.5 percent). Redick opened the scoring with a 3-pointer. Jordan had11 rebounds and eight points before halftime.

Fournier had 12 points in the first half, including the last five of the second quarter.

NOTES: The Clippers are still awaiting word on an NBA suspension for PF Blake Griffin, who broke his right hand last month when he punched the team's assistant equipment manager. Griffin already was on the sideline with a strained quadriceps tendon. ... Longtime NBA columnist Mitch Lawrence is reporting that the Clippers are talking with Denver about a possible trade of Griffin, but coach Doc Rivers scoffed at the mention before the game. "Blake's ours, and he's going to stay ours." ... Clippers reserve G Austin Rivers sat out with a bad contusion on his left hand, sustained in the loss to Minnesota on Wednesday. Rivers played his high school basketball in Central Florida and had plenty of friends at the game. ... Magic reserve C Dewayne Dedmon returned to action after missing Wednesday's game with a sprained left foot.
Top Game Performances
 
L.A. Clippers   Orlando
Chris Paul 21 Scoring Victor Oladipo 18
Chris Paul 6 Assists Shabazz Napier 4
DeAndre Jordan 18 Rebounds Nikola Vucevic 9
Jamal Crawford 4 Free Throws Made Victor Oladipo 7
Chris Paul 4 Steals Nikola Vucevic 2
Wesley Johnson 4 Blocks Aaron Gordon 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
L.A. Clippers 107 54.1 8-27 19-23 15 44 8 13 22
Orlando 93 42.0 4-20 21-28 19 39 1 6 18
Upcoming Games
  • Orlando will play their next game at home against Atlanta. The Magic have a W/L % of .455 after a win and .407 after a loss.
  • L.A. Clippers will play their next game on the road against Miami. The Clippers have a W/L % of .667 after a win and .647 after a loss.