National Basketball Association
L.A. Clippers 120, Chicago 93
When: 3:30 PM ET, Sunday, January 31, 2016
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Officials: #55 Bill Kennedy, #73 Tre Maddox, #23 Jason Phillips
Attendance: 19325

LOS ANGELES -- Another productive outing by their bench allowed the Los Angeles Clippers to bolt past the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.

Reserve guard Jamal Crawford scored 26 points, leading the Clippers to a 120-93 blowout at Staples Center.

Guard J.J. Redick scored 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting, hitting all four of his 3-pointers, point guard Chris Paul had 19 points and seven assists and center DeAndre Jordan added 17 points, 20 rebounds and four blocks for the Clippers (32-16), who captured their fourth straight win. Guard Austin Rivers came off the bench to score 16 points, hitting five of six from 3-point range.

The Clippers' reserves outscored Chicago's 58-18. That effort comes on the heels of Friday's performance, when the Clippers' bench torched the Los Angeles Lakers' second unit 56-25.

"We were so down after that Toronto game because for a month that's not who we've been," said Crawford, referring to a 112-94 loss Jan. 24, when the Raptors' backups held a 51-29 advantage over the Clippers. "We got our butts kicked that game (but) we've bounced back nicely since then."

Guard Jimmy Butler had 23 points and guard Derrick Rose contributed 20 points for the Bulls (26-20), who have dropped four of their last six games. Forward Pau Gasol chipped in 15 points and 14 rebounds.

Rose said consistency has been the Bulls' biggest foe.

"It's the story of our year," said Rose, who made 10 of 17 shots and grabbed five rebounds. "Like I said, if I could put a finger on it...I watch a lot of basketball and the only thing I could think of is the effort and sticking with the game plan."

A 12-4 Clippers surge to open the fourth quarter doomed the Bulls. A 3-pointer by backup forward Wesley Johnson, who had 11 points, gave the Clippers a 95-77 cushion less than two minutes into the period. The Bulls were unable to slice the lead under double figures the rest of the way.

"Really, our bench has been fantastic," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "They are actually changing games and it's with their energy. I think early on, they thought it was going to be with their offense and now they've realized that it is with their hands, with their defense and their deflections."

Los Angeles also benefited from its 3-point shooting to split the season series with Chicago, which recorded an 83-80 decision on Dec. 10. The Clippers connected on 17 of 32 3-pointers (53.1 percent) compared to five of 15 (33.3 percent) for the Bulls. Overall, the Clippers made 53.6 percent of their shots from the floor to 43 percent for the Bulls.

"It was a collective effort," said Paul, who hit eight of 16 field-goal attempts, but missed three of four 3-point attempts. "Jamal went on a (scoring) spree tonight. Our second unit was amazing, guys were sharing the ball, but our defense was the key."

Los Angeles prevailed despite Chicago's 56-36 edge on points in the paint.

The Clippers improved to 15-3 without injured forward Blake Griffin (broken hand).

The Clippers took a 51-47 lead at the break. Crawford led all scorers with 12 first-half points.

In the third quarter, the Clippers took control, building a 79-68 advantage after a dunk by Jordan with 1:53 remaining in the quarter. The Bulls closed within 79-73 on a 3-pointer by Butler with 48.3 seconds left, but a 3-pointer by Rivers and a jumper by Crawford put Los Angeles up 84-73 heading into the final quarter.

"I wouldn't say a setback, but it hurts to lose a game like this," Rose said. "The good thing about it is we play (Monday). We go to Utah and hopefully we get that win."

Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich returned after missing six games with a left quad contusion. Hinrich was scoreless in 11 minutes.

NOTES: Bulls G/F Mike Dunleavy, who hasn't played this season due to his recovery from back surgery, participated in a half-court scrimmage Saturday. Though there is no timetable for Dunleavy's return, it is possible the 6-9 Dunleavy could play during the club's current seven-game road trip. "I think it would be great if we could get him out there a little bit before the All-Star break, but these next two days will determine that," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. ... The Clippers are expected to sign reserve F Jeff Ayres to another 10-day contract. Ayres initially signed Jan. 23 after appearing in 23 games (21 starts) with the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League. ... Los Angeles hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.
Top Game Performances
 
Chicago   L.A. Clippers
Jimmy Butler 23 Scoring Jamal Crawford 26
Pau Gasol 5 Assists Chris Paul 7
Pau Gasol 14 Rebounds DeAndre Jordan 20
Jimmy Butler 5 Free Throws Made DeAndre Jordan 5
Aaron Brooks 1 Steals Luc Mbah a Moute 2
Taj Gibson 2 Blocks DeAndre Jordan 4
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Chicago 93 43.0 5-15 8-11 19 42 4 2 9
L.A. Clippers 120 53.6 17-32 13-19 26 46 6 8 11
Upcoming Games
  • L.A. Clippers will play their next game at home against Minnesota. The Clippers have a W/L % of .688 after a win and .625 after a loss.
  • Chicago will play their next game on the road against Utah. The Bulls have a W/L % of .519 after a win and .632 after a loss.