LOS ANGELES -- Blake Griffin is making all the difference in the world for the Los Angeles Clippers, coach Doc Rivers said.

Griffin scored a game-high 17 points and collected nine assists in three quarters, and the Clippers captured their fourth consecutive victory, a 99-84 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night at Staples Center.

"I just love how he's playing," Rivers said. "He's letting the game come to him. I think what Blake has done the last three games is he's made everyone on the floor better. That's what great players do."

Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, who had a game-high 16 rebounds to go with seven points, said Griffin's passing skills make him a tough matchup.

"He makes a lot of us better," Jordan said. "He is such a threat offensively and draws a lot of double and triple teams. And he is such a willing passer that whenever we can make ourselves available, he is going to make the right basketball play and make it easy for us to score the basketball."

J.J. Redick contributed 15 points, hitting 5 of 8 from 3-point range, while Austin Rivers chipped in 13 points for the Clippers, who beat the Hawks for the first time in three tries at Staples. Raymond Felton and Wesley Johnson came off the bench to score 11 points apiece for Los Angeles (35-21).

Defense, though, dictated the outcome as the Clippers held an opponent under 90 points for the second consecutive contest.

"I thought Utah was a great defensive game for us (on Monday). I thought we were just as good tonight," Griffin said. "(The Hawks) got some shots, some easy ones that we did not want to give up, but for the most part, you saw guys scrambling around all night, and that was our key to extending the lead."

Dennis Schroder had 15 points and seven assists for the Hawks, who fell for the second time in three games. Dwight Howard finished with 11 points and 15 rebounds, allowing him to pass Buck Williams for 13th on the NBA's all-time rebounding list with 8,502.

Atlanta (32-24) also got 11 points from Tim Hardaway Jr.

Los Angeles blew the contest open in the third quarter. The Clippers led by as much as 22 in the third before seizing an 83-64 advantage heading into the final quarter.

That allowed the Clippers' starters to rest in the fourth.

Twenty-three Atlanta turnovers (leading to 22 points) to 16 for the Clippers (setting up 10 points) didn't help the Hawks' cause.

"They had good pressure," Atlanta forward Paul Millsap said. "I remember throwing a few away unforced. It was (them) being aggressive and taking away what we do."

The Clippers took a 54-40 halftime lead by outscoring the Hawks 33-18 in the second quarter. The Clippers benefitted from their long-distance shooting, making 10 of 20 attempts (50 percent) compared to 4 of 13 (30.8 percent) for the Hawks in the first half.

For the game, the Clippers hit 14 of 37 (37.8 percent) on treys to 7 of 26 (26.9 percent) for the Hawks.

The Clippers converted 51.2 percent of their shots from the floor to 40 percent for the Hawks before intermission. Overall, Los Angeles shot 46.8 percent to 40.5 percent for Atlanta.

In the battle of the boards, the Hawks prevailed 45-40, but that did nothing to alter the contest.

With both clubs off until after the All-Star break, Doc Rivers is pleased with the Clippers' performance in the first half of the season.

"I love where we're at," Rivers said. "When you factor that Blake and Chris (Paul) have missed a lot of games and we have the record that we have, I think any coach would take this record with the injuries that we've had."

Millsap was optimistic about the Hawks.

"I think the second half will be a lot better," Millsap said.

NOTES: Clippers PG Chris Paul (torn ligament in left thumb) is working out daily on the court with the team's video-equipment staff. "Chris told me he is playing well, and I was thinking, 'Thank gosh, you should be playing well against them,'" coach Doc Rivers joked. Rivers, though, said there is no timetable for Paul's return or if the guard would rejoin the Clippers in practice after the All-Star break. The initial prognosis for Paul, who has missed 13 games since undergoing surgery on Jan. 18, was he would be sidelined six to eight weeks. ... Rivers, who played in Atlanta from 1983 to 1991, remains the Hawks' all-time leader in assists with 3,866. ... Hawks G/F Thabo Sefolosha (left groin) missed his ninth consecutive game. ... Atlanta C Dwight Howard remains two blocked shots shy of passing Moses Malone for 23rd on the league's all-time list.