Clippers avenge Christmas loss with 113-97 victory over Lakers

Redemption arrived for the Clippers borne by forceful offense and unrelenting defense against the Lakers.

There was purpose in everything the Clippers did on Saturday afternoon as they throttled the Lakers, 113-97, at Staples Center.

The Clippers played as if determined to extract payback for Christmas night, when the Lakers defeated them 111-102, the second of six consecutive losses the Clippers absorbed during their bleakest stretch of the season.

Now the Clippers have a six-game winning streak, helped along Saturday by the dominant play of center DeAndre Jordan, who overwhelmed the Lakers with 24 points and 21 rebounds.

“I thought our guys came today to play,” Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said. “And if they beat you that way, you can live with it. Today was a competition. We didn’t come in with our red uniforms on and all that stuff they do on Christmas. We came to play basketball today, so that was good.”

The Lakers only occasionally played like a team hungry for a win after losing its previous two games, and seven of 10 since that Dec. 25 victory. They quickly fell behind by 13 points and they never caught up, their third straight defeat dropping them to 15-29.

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Lakers forward Julius Randle drives against Clippers forward Luc Mbah a Moute during the first half Saturday afternoon at Staples Center.

  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Clippers center DeAndre Jordan dunks the ball over Lakers guard Jose Calderon during the first half.

  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Lakers guard Nick Young drives to the basket against Clippers forward Luc Mbah a Moute during the third quarter.

  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Lakers defenders Brandon Ingram and Tarik Black challenge a shot by Clippers guard Jamal Crawford during the first half.

  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Lakers guards Jordan Clarkson, left, and Nick Young defend against Clippers guard Chris Paul in the fourth quarter at Staples Center.

  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Clippers center DeAndre Jordan saves a loose ball from going out of bounds against the Lakers in the third quarter at Staples Center.

  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Clippers guard Austin Rivers drives down the lane for a layup against Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell during the first half of Saturday’s game.  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Clippers center DeAndre Jordan puts down a dunk against the Lakers during the first half.

  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Lakers guard Nick Young drives to the basket against Clippers defenders DeAndre Jordan (6) and Luc Mbah a Moute during the first half.

  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Lakers forward Julius Randle gets tangled up with Clippers center DeAndre Jordan as they battle for a rebound during the first half on Jan. 14.

  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

“The way we started the game tonight, our bigs weren’t rolling, we weren’t setting screens, our spacing was crap,” Lakers Coach Luke Walton said. “Whenever we did get open, there was nothing to do with the ball there. I don’t know if the 12:30 start threw us off, or what it was. But it wasn’t up to par.”

Certainly no Laker played up to the level of Jordan, who missed only one of his 13 field-goal attempts, frequently providing the hammer with thunderous dunks. It was the seventh time in his career that Jordan had at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game, tying Elton Brand’s franchise record, and his second 20-20 game this season.

“He was terrific,” Rivers said. “He was as dominant a force as you could have in the NBA. That’s how good he was.”

Chris Paul, who had an excused absence from practice Friday, also was too much for the Lakers to handle, collecting 20 points, 13 assists and five rebounds.

“I don’t remember Christmas too much. I was in a dark place at the time,” said Paul, who did not play in the Dec. 25 game because of a hamstring injury. off “We came out today. We played. We won.”

The Lakers had virtually no chance of winning with D’Angelo Russell going one-for-seven from the field and scoring five points, or with Julius Randle shooting two for seven while scoring four.

Jordan Clarkson had 21 points to lead the Lakers, for whom slow starts continue to be a bad habit.

“Our vibe ain’t there. Our swag ain’t there for the last couple games,” Nick Young said. “We just gotta find it. Having fun. I haven’t [done] the three-point celebration in a while. Gotta figure it out.”

broderick.turner@latimes.com

Follow Broderick Turner on Twitter @BA_Turner