Hack-A-DeAndre

The Clippers won at home again last night.  It was their ninth straight home win -- the fourth-longest home winning streak in the NBA this season.  If you missed the late Tuesday game and/or the boxscore, Blake Griffin was his typical phenomenal self:  32 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists, plus an assortment of dives and tumbles to the Staples Center floor.

"Ersan, try this new beetle pose that I learned in yoga class this week.  It works the glutes really well!"

Coming out of a fourth-quarter timeout, with 3:33 remaining in the game and the Clippers leading 94-87, Scott Skiles elected to employ a Hack-a-Shaq strategy on DeAndre Jordan.  Jon Brockman fouled Jordan, who is hitting his free throws at a 45.9% clip this season.  DeAndre went to the line and made one of the two free throws.

After a Bucks bucket, Brockman gave another off-ball, intentional foul to Jordan and DeAndre again went to the line to make 1-of-2.  Jordan came out of the game shortly after, at the 2:56 mark, with the Clippers still maintaining a seven-point lead.

The best part was Jordan's reaction on the bench, where he seemed to be muttering displeasures to himself.  (Smile!  You're on NBA League Pass.) He returned with 1:27 remaining, safely within the final two minutes, when off-ball fouls result in two shots plus possession of the ball.

Brockman probably gave the intentional fouls with pleasure as he was the recipient of the most wrathful of Jordan's dunks (see below).  Post-dunk, Brockman grabbed Jordan's jersey and nearly dragged him to the hardwood and got an offensive foul seconds later for plowing into Jordan as they headed downcourt.  My guess is that the deliberate ones required very little lobbying on Skiles' part.