NEW YORK: Chris Paul stood tall in the final minute to protect the Clippers’ lead and help Los Angeles to a 94-89 win over the Chicago Bulls yesterday, their seventh straight victory.
With Los Angeles leading by just two points in the last minute, Paul twice pushed the Clippers’ edge back to four with a jumper and two free throws and finished with his team’s final five points to seal the road victory.
It was the seventh successive win for the Clippers (15-6), their longest stretch since taking eight straight in the 1991-92 campaign.
“Our team is amazing because it’s a team effort every night,” Paul told reporters. “We don’t have a guy who’s going to score 30 or 40.”
Paul finished with 18 points, Blake Griffin added 22 and 10 rebounds and Los Angeles also got 34 points from their bench.
Carlos Boozer led the way with 24 points and 13 rebounds for the Bulls, who fought back from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to make the Clippers sweat.
Chicago (11-9), still playing without Derrick Rose as well as Richard Hamilton, had a three-game win streak snapped.
REUTERS
