Clippers end Thunder streak

OKLAHOMA CITY – The superstar point guard trying to lead a team without its high-scoring forward had his way Wednesday night.

Only this time, it wasn’t Russell Westbrook. It was Chris Paul.

Paul had 33 points and nine assists, J.J. Redick added 25 points and the Los Angeles Clippers beat Oklahoma City, 120-108, ending the Thunder’s seven-game home winning streak.

DeAndre Jordan had 18 points and 17 rebounds for the Clippers, who are fighting for a top-four seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Oklahoma City is battling to merely make the field and fell a half-game behind the New Orleans Pelicans in the race for the final playoff spot.

Both teams are playing for extended stretches without their standout forwards: Kevin Durant for the Thunder, Blake Griffin for the Clippers. In their absence, Paul fared better than his All-Star counterpart.

In Oakland, California, Klay Thompson reached the 5,000-point milestone and knocked down two late 3-pointers in a 69-second span, leading the Golden State Warriors past the Detroit Pistons, 105-98, for their fifth straight win.

Thompson finished with 27 points on 11-for-19 shooting in the Warriors’ 51st victory – matching their total from last season – and their eighth straight against Detroit, Golden State’s second-longest streak in the series.

Andre Drummond had a career-high 27 rebounds – 17 offensive – to go with 22 points in the Pistons’ eighth straight loss.

Thompson’s two 3s came during a decisive 18-2 run, including one with 5:37 left to put Golden State ahead by 10 as Detroit couldn’t fight back.

In Miami, Dwyane Wade scored 28 points and added nine assists, Chris Andersen tied a career high with 18 points and set a season high 14 rebounds, and the Miami Heat finished off a season sweep of the Brooklyn Nets with a 104-98 victory.

Goran Dragic added 17 points in his return to the Miami lineup. The Heat went 7-0 against New York’s two teams this season – 4-0 against the Nets, 3-0 against the Knicks – and moved back into the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race, helped by Sacramento beating Charlotte earlier Wednesday night.

In Portland, Oregon, LaMarcus Aldridge had 26 points and 14 rebounds, and the Portland Trail Blazers held off the Houston Rockets, 105-100.

The Trail Blazers limited James Harden to 18 points and tied the Rockets for third place in the Western Conference.

Harden was averaging just over 27 points to rank second in the league. He had scored more than 40 in two previous games against Portland this season.

Back in Oklahoma, Westbrook, who had recorded triple-doubles in five of Oklahoma City’s previous six games, finished with 24 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and a career-high 10 turnovers. (AP)