Five takeaways from the Clippers’ 123-84 win over the Brooklyn Nets

Here are five takeaways from the Clippers’ 123-84 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.

1. Chris Paul has something in common with Doc Rivers

Chris Paul had 17 assists in Thursday’s win, tying the assist total of the entire Nets team. He also entered an elite category, becoming one of three players in NBA history to finish with 17 assists in under 25 minutes. One of the other guys in that category is Doc Rivers, who turned the feat in 1987.

Said Paul: “Doc maybe was better than some of us thought he was, huh?”

2. Glen “Big Baby” Davis gets some minutes

Davis had 10 points on four-for-10 shooting and three rebounds in 21 minutes, well above his season average of 3.5 points and 1.9 rebound in 10.4 minutes. When asked about his performance, Rivers cracked a joke: “He had oxygen left, it was good.”

It’s not the first time that the coach has had some fun with Davis. Before the season began, Davis claimed he lost 20 pounds over the summer, an amount that Rivers intimated was insignificant. “It’s like throwing a deck chair off the Queen Mary,” Rivers said in October.

3. Blake Griffin says he’s honored to be a starter on the All-Star team

The starters for the All-Star game were announced Thursday afternoon, and Griffin was the only Clipper to receive the honor. Griffin is averaging 23 points on 50.1% shooting, 7.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists a game this season. In Thursday’s win, he had 24 points on 11-for-14 shooting, six rebounds and three assists in just under 25 minutes. Griffin, a four-time All-Star, said he was proud to be named a starter.

“It’s something I definitely don’t take for granted,” Griffin said. “I’m very thankful for the fan votes.”

4. The Clippers bench has some success

The Clippers bench has struggled throughout the season, often blowing leads. Thursday, however, the bench went on a 16-4 run at the top of the second quarter to help extend the Clippers’ lead to 23 points. The backups finished with 54 points.

“I thought our bench in the second quarter was the difference,” Rivers said.

5. Dahntay Jones gets another 10-day extension

When Rivers was asked after Thursday’s win whetherDahntay Jones would be signed to another 10-day contract, the coach didn’t hesitate: “We’re going to keep him.” Rivers, along with the Clippers players, have commented that Jones’ presence has elevated the team’s energy and chemistry. Jones had two points on one-for-two shooting in just under nine minutes.

“He’s happy to be here and he has a toughness about him as well that I think will be good for us,” Rivers said.