Brooklyn, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Joe Johnson and Andray Blatche had 21 points apiece and the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 102-93 on Thursday night.
It was Brooklyn's Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett's first meeting against their former coach in Boston Doc Rivers. Pierce had 10 points and Garnett netted just two.
"I'll always have a special place for Doc," Garnett said.
Blatche added nine rebounds and Deron Williams tallied 15 points, five boards and four assists for the Nets, who have won a season-high three straight.
Chris Paul netted 20 points to lead Los Angeles, which had won three of its last four tilts coming in.
"I didn't like our movement," Rivers said of the Clippers' offense.
The game was tied 37-37 nearly a minute past the midway point of the second before the Nets used a 15-5 run to go in front. Williams knocked down a pair of treys and netted 10 straight points at one point during the swing, which was capped by a Johnson jumper for a 52-42 cushion late in the frame.
Brooklyn took a 56-44 spread into the break.
Blatche scored the last six points of an 11-3 Brooklyn flurry to close the third and stake the hosts an 83-62 advantage heading into the fourth, where they cruised to the easy triumph.
Earlier, Paul, Willie Green and Jared Dudley each hit early triples as the Clippers raced out to a 23-10 lead, but Brook Lopez netted eight points during a 10-2 Brooklyn surge to close the frame and pull the Nets within 25-20 after a quarter of play.
Game Notes
The Nets shot 93.3 percent (28-of-30) from the foul line, while Los Angeles finished 67.3 percent (35-of-52) from the charity stripe ... Blake Griffin had 12 points and 11 rebounds by the Clippers.
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