National Basketball Association
Atlanta 109, L.A. Clippers 102
When: 7:30 PM ET, Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Where: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
Officials:
#27 Dick Bavetta, #55 Bill Kennedy, #31 Scott Wall
Attendance:
18223
By SportsDirect Inc.
HAWKS 109, CLIPPERS 102: Joe Johnson poured in 28 points as Atlanta held off visiting Los Angeles to bolster its chances of earning home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs.
Johnson knocked down six 3-pointers to pace the fifth-place Hawks (39-26) who need a win Thursday against Dallas or a Boston loss Thursday to Milwaukee to earn the right to host Game 1 against the fourth-seeded Celtics when the postseason kicks off this weekend.
Jeff Teague chipped in 21 points while Josh Smith added 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Hawks.
Blake Griffin had a season-high 36 points and Chris Paul added 34 for the Clippers (40-25), whose defeat clinched the rival Lakers the Pacific Division title.
After trailing for most of the the third quarter, the Clippers drew even on a short Griffin hook shot with 3:41 remaining. The Hawks stormed back ahead on the strength of seven straight points from Teague, who added a block of a Paul layup during that stretch to keep Los Angeles at bay.
Teague, Johnson and Josh Smith combined to score 26 third-quarter points as Atlanta jumped out to an 85-72 advantage entering the fourth.
The Clippers closed to within six on a Mo Williams basket with 4:20 remaining, but Johnson responded with a 3-pointer that made it 100-91 and the Clippers didn't challenge the rest of the way.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Clippers need a win in their season finale against New York or a Memphis loss Wednesday or Thursday to secure home-court against the Grizzlies in round one. ... Paul has attempted 30 free throws over the last two games, making 27. ... Johnson has connected on 13 of 17 3-point attempts over his last three games.
Top Game Performances
| L.A. Clippers |
|
Atlanta |
|
Blake Griffin 36 |
Scoring |
Joe Johnson 28 |
|
Chris Paul 8 |
Assists |
Josh Smith 5 |
|
DeAndre Jordan 9 |
Rebounds |
Josh Smith 10 |
|
Chris Paul 10 |
Free Throws Made |
Jeff Teague 6 |
|
Kenyon Martin 3 |
Steals |
Willie Green 2 |
|
DeAndre Jordan 2 |
Blocks |
Ivan Johnson 2 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
| L.A. Clippers
|
102 |
50.0 |
8-19 |
14-20 |
18 |
35 |
4 |
9 |
14 |
| Atlanta
|
109 |
50.0 |
11-24 |
12-14 |
24 |
42 |
4 |
7 |
15 |
Upcoming Games
-
Atlanta will play their next game at home against Dallas. The Hawks have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.
-
L.A. Clippers will play their next game on the road against New York. The Clippers have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.