LA Clippers blow out Celtics in 'measuring stick' game - ESPN

BOSTON — From the playoff-like, detail-oriented team walkthrough on Saturday to Paul George insisting he play through a sore groin injury on the second night of a back-to-back, Ty Lue saw a very motivated LA Clippers squad hours before facing the Boston Celtics.

In what Lue described as a «measuring stick» game, the Clippers led by as much as 36 points and trounced the Celtics, 115-96, at a disappointed TD Garden on Saturday night.

The Clippers (30-14) are the hottest team in basketball, improving to a league-best 22-4 since Dec. 1. One of those losses was an embarrassing 145-108 loss at home to the Celtics on Dec. 23. While that defeat came without an injured Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers were looking for payback.

In their most impressive statement win of the season, the Clippers handed Boston its second loss at home this season.

«The guys were pretty motivated,» Lue said. "… When they came to L.A., they did us pretty bad. So guys were locked in.

"… This was a game [where] PG, we thought he might be out, but he wanted to play to see where we're at. Just a measuring stick against a great team. We just wanted to kind of see where we're at. We had that on our mind."

Even though the Celtics (35-11) have lost only twice at home this season, both have come consecutively. The Celtics lost to Denver on Jan. 19, and this latest home setback came without the injured Kristaps Porzingis.

The Clippers held the Celtics to 36% shooting and blew the game open with a 21-0 run in the third quarter.

James Harden said it was the Clippers' best defensive performance of the season.

«Against a team that was playing really, really well,» Harden said. «Especially at home.… We still got some ways to go, but this is a good test for us.»

Typically,