Dec. 24--The Clippers lost to the Atlanta Hawks 107-104 on Tuesday evening. Here are five takeaways from that game.
1. The Clippers have lost five road games in a row: The Clippers faced the Hawks in their last game of a stretch in which they played four games in five nights over four different time zones. They've lost their last five games away from Staples Center, also dropping games against the San Antonio Spurs, the Denver Nuggets, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Washington Wizards. It's been a tough stretch for the team, which has played eight games in 13 days, including three sets of back-to-back games.
2. Blake Griffin missed game-tying three-pointer: With the Clippers trailing by three points, 107-104, Griffin attempted a three-pointer at the buzzer, but missed. The superstar power forward has become more and more comfortable having the ball in his hands during clutch situations. In a game against the Phoenix Suns on Dec. 8, Griffin made a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Clippers a 121-120 overtime win.
3. Griffin tied his career-high in assists: Griffin had 11 assists against the Hawks, tying his career-high for the third time. He's averaging 4.7 assists a game, more than the other top power forward in the league.
4. Clippers showed signs of effective defense: The Clippers played well in spurts on Tuesday. After trailing by 10 points in the second quarter, they went on a 17-0 run to take a 57-50 halftime lead. Jamal Crawford sparked that stretch with two quick three-pointers and two free throws in less than a minute. During that run, the Hawks went scoreless for about five minutes and 30 seconds. The Clippers, however, couldn't sustain their great defense. In the fourth quarter, the Hawks went on a 13-2 run to take a nine-point lead.
5. The Clippers face the Warriors on Christmas: The Clippers have returned home to Los Angeles, but they don't get much of a breather. On Christmas evening they face the Golden State Warriors, who have the top record in the very competitive Western Conference at 23-4. The Clippers (19-10) are in sixth place, five games behind the Warriors.
