Chris Paul, Blake Griffin Lead New-Look Clippers To 105-86 Win Over Warriors

It was a solid start to what’s expected to be a great season. However, the Clippers realize they’ve still got a long way to go, as Sam Amick of SI.com notes:

For updates and analysis of these two teams, visit Clippers blog Clips Nation and Warriors blog Golden State Of Mind.

The new-look Los Angeles Clippers got off to a rocky start, struggling with the Golden State Warriors in the early goings and heading into the half trailing by two. But in the second half, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and company found their rhythm, opening up a double-digit lead in the third quarter.

The Warriors climbed back into it in the fourth, cutting the Clippers lead to one with just under seven minutes to go. Golden State was able to slow a bit of the Clippers’ momentum in the third, employing a Hack-a-DeAndre-Jordan strategy that put Los Angeles’ poor free throw shooting big man at the line. It work, at least momentarily, and the Warriors were able to weather the storm as they chipped away at the lead.

Blake Griffin may have struggled through the first half, scoring seven points and failing to make a field goal in the second quarter, but you wouldn’t know it from his performance coming out of the break. Griffin powered the Clippers to a 10-point lead, dominating inside along the way. He finished with nine points in the quarter, pushing his total to 16 for the game, as the Clippers took a 75-68 lead into the final frame.

And then there was Mark Jackson. With just over three minutes left in the third quarter, and facing a 10-point deficit, the Warriors head coach had his team foul DeAndre Jordan -- on-ball or off -- every single time down the court. Every. Single. Time. Jordan’s poor foul shooting -- a 41-percent lifetime shooter -- made him an easy target, and Jackson eventually called off the dogs after Jordan airballed a free throw, some five intentional fouls later.

Players are taught to throw the ball at the rim after taking contact, in hopes of drawing a shooting foul. And typically that’s how it works out: A player is bumped, throws up a shot with nary a chance of going in, and said player heads to the line for two free throws. But sometimes, these moments of “screw it” produce beautiful circus shots.

Caron Butler just kind of tossed the ball up towards the hoop on Sunday night, floating it way up in the air as he fell out of bounds after a foul. It was from an awkward angle and came right after the foul, but Butler’s shot hit nothing but net. Not a typical and-one, but certainly one of the better one’s you’ll see from the NBA’s opening day.

The regular season debut of Lob City -- the Los Angeles Clippers -- hasn’t gone quite according to plan thus far as the Golden State Warriors lead at the half, 43-41. But in an interesting twist, Golden State fans began chanting “Beat L.A.” a mantra usually reserved for the other Los Angeles team, the Lakers, midway through the half. Less than one game in, the Clippers already have a target on their back.

Monta Ellis and David Lee scored 12 and 11 points, respectively, in the half to pace the Warriors. Stephen Curry, playing on a sprained ankle after a run-in with Jimmer Fredette in the preseason, was largely ineffective, scoring just two points in the half. Lee also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds for the Warriors.

For more on these two teams, visit Clips Nation and Golden State of Mind.

For more on Curry’s status and the Warriors, visit Golden State Of Mind.

For more on the Warriors, visit Golden State Of Mind. For more on the Clippers, visit Clips Nation. SBNation.com will have full coverage of the game.

Game Date/Time: Sunday, Dec. 25, 10:30 p.m. ET

Location: Oracle Arena, Oakland, Calif.