Clipper Win Not Entirely Unexpected

If you thought the Clippers broke out champagne and balloons for ending their 16-game losing streak to the Lakers with a 118-95 victory Sunday night . . . think again.

The Clippers actually went into their final meeting with the Lakers expecting to win.

“Even though we have to try and take this as another game, we all really know this was not just another game,” said Lamar Odom, who finished with 29 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

After playing the Lakers tough in three previous losses this season, including a heartbreaking defeat Dec. 30 when the Lakers played without Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant in overtime, the Clippers took the Staples Center floor Sunday with confidence.

The Clippers knew if they made Bryant work for his points and kept pressure on O’Neal on both ends of the court, they would have a good chance for an upset. Coach Alvin Gentry’s plan worked to perfection.

Bryant, who was ejected from the last meeting after getting two technical fouls, had 27 points but made only 10 of 24 shots. With Quentin Richardson, Corey Maggette and Eric Piatkowski hounding him at every turn, and then facing double-teams from Darius Miles and Odom, Bryant played right into the Clippers’ hands.

“We tried to use the same [defense] we used against Vince [Carter] and that was to make him take bad shots,” said Richardson, who had 16 points, including three three-point baskets. “We knew he leads the league in field-goal attempts and he wants to score. Our goal was to make him force things since he wants to shoot all the time.”

Against O’Neal, the Clippers fouled whenever possible and it worked as he made only nine of 20 free throws. But another reason why O’Neal did not have the same impact was the work of big men Michael Olowokandi and Cherokee Parks, who helped limit the Laker center to six rebounds.

With backup Sean Rooks not 100% because of flu, the Clippers were limited inside against O’Neal. But Olowokandi was aggressive enough to force O’Neal into foul trouble and Parks’ perimeter game opened things up for the Clipper half-court offense.

“This is the first time that I’ve ever played on a team that has defeated the Lakers at home,” said Parks, who has played with five teams in his six-year NBA career.

“The key was that we played the whole game with energy. When it came down to the last stretch, we kept attacking them. We made some big-time shots.”

But maybe the biggest difference for the Clippers was the play of point guard Earl Boykins, who saw his first action of the season after being activated from the injured list 30 minutes before tipoff.

With rookie Keyon Dooling out because of flu, Gentry wanted the 5-foot-5 Boykins in the game to create matchup problems. Boykins’ 11 points and three assists were only part of the story in explaining his effectiveness.

Time after time, Boykins broke down the Laker defense. His penetration helped create more ball movement for the Clippers, who made 56.1% of their shots and set a season-high mark in points.

“I felt good once I got my wind,” said Boykins, who was lifting weights when he was told by Gentry he was going to play. “There’s one thing to be in shape but another thing being in game shape. Once I caught my second wind, I was fine.”

Boykins’ teammates were not surprised by his effectiveness.

“He does it every day in practice, we always laugh because he looks like a cartoon character flying around making plays,” Richardson said about Boykins. “He is so quick. . . . We were cheering for him and laughing at the same time watching him.”