Sweet 16: Clippers’ defense smothers Hornets in win

The Clippers held the Hornets to a dismal 16 second-half points after having trailed by four at halftime.

Sam Cassell scored 15 points for the Clippers, who have won three straight games. Cuttino Mobley netted 14 points, while Vladimir Radmanovic and Shaun Livingston added eight apiece.

Desmond Mason scored 20 points to pace the Hornets, who lost their second straight. P.J. Brown posted 10 points and 11 rebounds, while David West had 10 points. Chris Paul added 12 assists.

The Hornets gained an early advantage, leading 30-25 heading into the second quarter. LA closed the gap by just one point during the stanza and trailed 51-47 at halftime.

"In the first half, we didn’t play well," Cassell said. "In the second half, we played extremely hard. We communicated better. We challenged their shots and won the game."

The Clippers took control with a 25-0 run to close the third quarter and start the fourth. LA led 68-59 heading into the final stanza.

"Coach (Mike Dunleavy) did a great job of implementing the zone," Brand said. "We pride ourselves on defense. (The) 25-0 run, that was amazing."

New Orleans was held scoreless for over 12 minutes during the span across quarters until Mason converted a free throw with 7:22 left to make the score 74-60. By the end of the game, the Clippers’ run that began with 7:45 left in the third quarter totaled 40-8.

The Clippers won the finale of a three-game homestand and are 7-2 in their last nine home games. They own a 20-9 record at the Staples Center this season.

New Orleans/Oklahoma City closed out a four-game road trip. The Hornets went 2-2 on the swing and are 12-18 away from home this season.

Game Notes

The teams split the season series of two games. New Orleans/Oklahoma City posted a 102-89 triumph on December 14 in Oklahoma...Los Angeles has won four of the past six meetings overall and four in a row at the Staples Center.