Clippers find their fight in 101-97 victory over Utah Jazz

Intensity finally found the Clippers in the preseason, a swipe across the face of Blake Griffin lending some urgency to an exhibition game.

Griffin was driving for a layup late in the third quarter Friday night at Staples Center when Utah Jazz forward Trevor Booker smacked his Clippers counterpart across the arms and face.

Griffin stepped toward Booker and grabbed the back of his head with his left hand before officials intervened and Clippers forward-center Spencer Hawes pulled his teammate away from further trouble.

Booker was assessed a flagrant 1 foul and a technical foul, while Griffin and Clippers guard Chris Paul each received technicals.

The Clippers seemed revived by the episode, rallying from a six-point deficit for a 101-97 victory. It was their first win in the exhibition season after three defeats and the first time they held an opponent under 100 points.

Clippers guard Jamal Crawford made a three-pointer with 18.5 seconds left to give his team a 98-95 lead and Hawes added a breakaway dunk. Crawford finished with a game-high 25 points on eight-for-13 shooting, including five of seven from behind the three-point arc.

Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said he liked that his team had to come back and execute late in the game.

“You couldn’t have scripted a more perfect game to get ready for the regular season,” Rivers said.

Griffin scored 17 points, again showing increased range on his jumper but also resembling his old self by driving for a vicious one-handed dunk.

Griffin said it was hard to restrain himself from taking things further against Booker.

“I was going to, and then I thought, it’s preseason, it’s not worth it,” Griffin said. “That’s not the person I want to waste it on.”

Does Griffin get the sense that retaliating more forcefully could happen at some point?

“Yeah, probably, but I’m not just going to do it for no reason or if it’s not warranted,” he said. “I don’t think that was.”

Hawes showed the many ways in which he can help his new team, getting 24 points and six rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench. He gathered a lob pass from Griffin for a dunk on one play, quickly rose for a three-pointer on another play and drove for a layup on a third play.

Chris Douglas-Roberts made his second start of the exhibition season at small forward for the Clippers, who are still seeking a second player to join Matt Barnes as part of their rotation at that position. Douglas-Roberts had 10 points in 25 minutes.

Rivers announced his team had suffered its first significant injury of the preseason Thursday when reserve forward Glen Davis slipped coming around a screen in practice, straining his right groin. Rivers said he was unsure whether Davis would be able to return in time to play in the regular-season opener against Oklahoma City on Oct. 30.

That’s expected to be the next game attended by Steve Ballmer, the new Clippers owner who has seen his team in person only once in the preseason.