Byron Scott Not anxious About Playing Kobe Bryant Major Minutes

Blake Griffin had his worst performance of the season and the Los Angeles Clippers lost their third consecutive game 91-80 against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday afternoon at Staples Center.

Seeing what the Clippers were able to accomplish in the second half, outscoring the Raptors by 18 points after getting outscored by 29 in the first half, nearly makes the situation more frustrating and confusing to figure out for him.

For those who want a hint on Kobe’s plans, here is one for you courtesy of a report from Yahoo Sports.

“Being up under the wing of Kobe Bryant and the relationship that we built over that time, I learned a lot about the game of basketball”, Butler said. “We started the game the right way, and that helped”. I think we got better as the trip went on and that’s something you look for. “We need to find that, whether it is playing harder, whether it is having a sense of urgency, whatever the case may be”.

It was the team’s lowest-scoring half of the season, something for which Paul and Rivers shared blame.

CJ McCollum scored 19 points and recorded five assists, while Mason Plumlee finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Trail Blazers (6-9), who beat the Lakers for the six consecutive time.

With that said, it best typifies how other retired National Basketball Association players approach their career. “And that’s my job”.

The Clippers are a six-point favorite against Toronto and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at 209 points.

Two nights after the Celtics won by 25 in Boston, the Nets dominated the second quarter that was pivotal in both games and held on after blowing most of a 22-point lead, their largest of the season.

Los Angeles ranks 20th in points allowed per home game (102.0 PPG), while Toronto ranks 15th in points per away game with 100.2.

The frustration in the Clippers’ locker room afterward reportedly resulted in an argument, as media members heard screaming coming from within. Randle is an explosive ball-handler and player, which will be a challenge for Vonleh who has a similar skillset though he’s not quite as explosive as Randle.

“Those things are such a waste, for the most part”, he said. I’d rather have the explosions during the game.

Sunday, the Clippers started Paul Pierce with Chris Paul, J.J. Redick, DeAndre Jordan – the sixth different starting lineup the Clippers have used this season.

The game was practically a done deal by halftime as the Clippers faced a 29-point deficit at halftime.

But if that qualifies as a black cloud, Paul thinks he’s found a silver lining. But, the fact of the matter is public perception is a real thing, regardless if you mean what you say or not. We should wait until February or March to see how he’s really feeling.

“We’re pretty frustrated”, Griffin said. While we breathe a sigh of relief for a much-needed win, our happiness is considerably darkened by an injury suffered to Jonas Valanciunas late in the second quarter.