Five takeaways from the Clippers’ preseason win over Utah

Here are five takeaways from the Clippers’ 101-97 win over the Utah Jazz on Friday night at Staples Center. It was their first win of the preseason.

The Clippers have quite a bench

Jamal Crawford and Spencer Hawes combined for 49 points, nearly half of the Clippers’ total. Crawford, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, dazzled with 25 points on 8-for-13 shooting from the field, including 5-for-7 from the three-point line. Hawes, a 7-footer, showed just how versatile he is, making both dunks and three-pointers to finish with 24 points on 9-for-15 shooting and six rebounds.

Both Crawford and Hawes made crucial shots down the stretch. With 18.5 seconds left and the score tied at 95-95, Crawford made a three-pointer to give the Clippers a 98-95 lead and Hawes made a layup with 4.5 seconds left to put the Clippers ahead, 100-96. Crawford and Hawes are both from Seattle and have played together since they were young. “I’ve known Spencer since 17, every summer when we’re playing pickup, we’re playing together,” Crawford said. “We have a great synergy.”

The Clippers had a better rebounding effort

The Clippers have been outrebounded in each of their four preseason games, but Friday they lost the battle by just a single board, 40-39. When the Clippers played the Jazz on Monday, the margin was 55-32. Clippers Coach Doc Rivers attributed Friday’s improvement to the guards’ defense.

The more the guards keep the man with the ball out of the paint, the less the Clippers’ big men have to leave their men to help, giving the opponents’ big men an open lane to the boards. “It is so connected to the dribble penetration,” Rivers said. “I thought we did a sensational job for the most part of keeping them out of the paint.”

Blake Griffin is over the hard fouls

Blake Griffin and Trevor Booker got into a scuffle in the third quarter after Booker delivered Griffin a hard foul. Griffin responded by grabbing the back of Booker’s head. After the game, Griffin said that he considered taking the scuffle with Booker further. “I was going to and then thought, it’s preseason, it’s not worth it,” he said.

Griffin said there’s going to come a time when he’s not going to temper his response. “It’s more about standing up for yourself,” he said

Chris Paul said the team has to find another way to fire itself up

Paul acknowledged that the scuffle between Griffin and Booker fired up the Clippers, but he’s not exactly condoning on-court fights. “We’ve got to find a way to get to that gear without that,” he said. Paul went on to reveal a suggestion that he’s given to the team. “I joke around and say sometimes you’ve got to come and and act like somebody said something about your mama,” he said.

Friday’s game did not feel like a preseason game

The Clippers players said that Friday’s game against Utah did not feel as though it were a meaningless preseason game. Rivers has a theory as to why. “There are certain teams that people want to play against,” he said. “We are one of them. That is a compliment, but in preseason, that makes it really hard.” After three exhibition losses, Paul said the team really needed the win. “Down the stretch, we had to defend and we had to execute,” Paul said, adding, “You still need to the confidence to know that you can pull the tough ones out.”