Clippers win fourth game in a row, beating New Orleans, 107-100

The Clippers won their fourth game in a row, beating the New Orleans Pelicans, 107-100, on Sunday at Staples Center.

The Clippers, who are in fifth place in the Western Conference, improved to 46-25 with only 11 games left in the regular season.

The Pelicans opened the game shooting lights out to lead by as many as 11 points in the first quarter, but the Clippers cut their deficit to one, 28-27, heading into the second. The Clippers built a four-point lead, 81-77, heading into the fourth quarter, and expanded that advantage to 10 points in the final 12 minutes.

The Pelicans had 18 turnovers, while the Clippers had 10.

Chris Paul had 23 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. In his fifth game back after missing 15 games because of a staph infection in his right elbow that required surgery, Blake Griffin had 23 points, five rebounds and four assists. J.J. Redick added 20 points, DeAndre Jordan had 12 points and 16 rebounds, and Matt Barnes added 12 points on five-of-eight shooting.

The Pelicans were led by Anthony Davis, who had 26 points on a nearly impeccable 11-for-13 shooting from the field and 12 rebounds. Former Clipper Eric Gordon had 23 points and five assists.

With the loss, the Pelicans are now three games behind eighth-place Oklahoma City for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.

The Pelicans were playing without center Omer Asik (calf strain), forward Ryan Anderson (knee strain) and swingman Tyreke Evans (ankle injury). Jamal Crawford (right calf bruise) missed his 10th consecutive game for the Clippers.

The Clippers now head out on a three-game trip against New York, Philadelphia and Boston.