OAKLAND, Calif. – Prize acquisition Chris Paul had 20 points and nine assists in his much-anticipated Clippers debut, Blake Griffin added 22 points and seven rebounds and Los Angeles beat the Golden State Warriors 105-86 on Sunday night to spoil Mark Jackson’s opener as a first-time coach.
Monta Ellis had 15 points and eight assists after his grandmother’s death earlier in the day in Mississippi and David Lee added 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Warriors, who cut the Clippers’ lead to 78-77 with 9:35 left on Brandon Rush’s 3-pointer before Los Angeles pulled away.
It was hardly a spectacular opener for CP3 and Co., though coach Vinny Del Negro certainly will take methodical any day. These new-look Clippers hope to shine as Los Angeles’ other NBA team, perhaps no longer the Lakers’ stepchild.
Paul — who nearly wound up with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers before the NBA nixed the trade — teamed with Chauncey Billups and Griffin for the first time since coming to the Clippers in a Dec. 14 trade from New Orleans.
Billups scored 21 points with a key 3-pointer late for Los Angeles, which plays at San Antonio on Wednesday before returning for four in a row and
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