Clippers: Chris Paul feels the urgency of a shortened season
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Chris Paul received some raucous cheers from a Staples Center crowd dominated by Lakers fans when he dished perfect lob passes down low and split multiple defenders while penetrating. With Paul as its floor general, Lob City seems as though it has put up a flag in Lakers Nation.
Even though Paul is a fan favorite and his presence helped a meaningless preseason game have an almost playoff-like intensity at times, he said none of the fuss really mattered to him.
‘The crowd and the noise, I didn’t pay too much attention to it,’ he said. This is a new offense for me, this is a lot of new things coming at me so I’m zoned in.’
‘It’s a shortened camp so we have to take every opportunity to not play around and get ready for that Christmas Day game.’
Paul, who was acquired by the Clippers on Wednesday, had 17 points, nine assists and seven rebounds to help his team beat the Lakers, 114-95. Despite the Clippers’ decisive win, Paul said he’s not setting any expectations for the season.
‘We don’t play to lose, I’m going to tell you that much,’ he said.
The Lakers and Clippers play again Wednesday in their final exhibition before their season openers on Sunday.
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-- Melissa Rohlin
