LOS ANGELES — Guard Jamal Crawford came off the bench to score 26 points, allowing the Los Angeles Clippers to blow out the Chicago Bulls 120-93 on Sunday at Staples Center.
Guard J.J. Redick scored 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting, hitting all four of his 3-pointers, point guard Chris Paul had 19 points and seven assists and center DeAndre Jordan added 17 points, 20 rebounds and four blocks for the Clippers (32-16), who captured their fourth straight win.
Guard Jimmy Butler had 23 points and guard Derrick Rose contributed 20 points for the Bulls (26-20), who have dropped four of their last six games. Forward Pau Gasol chipped in 15 points and 14 rebounds.
A 12-4 Clippers surge to open the fourth quarter doomed the Bulls. A 3-pointer by forward Wesley Johnson, who had 11 points, gave the Clippers a 95-77 cushion less than two minutes into the period. The Bulls were unable to slice the lead under double figures the rest of the way.
Los Angeles benefited from its 3-point shooting to split the season series with Chicago, which recorded an 83-80 decision on Dec. 10. The Clippers connected on 17 of 32 3-pointers (53.1 percent) compared to five of 15 (33.3 percent) for the Bulls. Overall, the Clippers made 53.6 percent of their shots from the floor to 43 percent for the Bulls.
Los Angeles prevailed despite Chicago’s 56-36 edge on points in the paint.
The Clippers improved to 15-3 without injured forward Blake Griffin (broken hand).
The Clippers took a 51-47 lead at the break, largely on the strength of their bench, which outscored Chicago’s reserves 29-11. Crawford led all scorers with 12 first-half points.
In the third quarter, the Clippers took control, building a 79-68 advantage after a dunk by Jordan with 1:53 remaining in the quarter. The Bulls closed within 79-73 on a 3-pointer by Butler with 48.3 seconds left, but a 3-pointer by guard Austin Rivers and a jumper by Crawford put Los Angeles up 84-73 heading into the final quarter.
Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich returned after missing six games with a left quad contusion. Hinrich was scoreless in 11 minutes.
NOTES: Bulls G/F Mike Dunleavy, who hasn’t played this season due to his recovery from back surgery, participated in a half-court scrimmage Saturday. Though there is no timetable for Dunleavy’s return, it is possible the 6-9 Dunleavy could play during the club’s current seven-game road trip. “I think it would be great if we could get him out there a little bit before the All-Star break, but these next two days will determine that,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. … The Clippers are expected to sign reserve F Jeff Ayres to another 10-day contract. Ayres initially signed Jan. 23 after appearing in 23 games (21 starts) with the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League. … Chicago visits the Utah Jazz on Monday, while Los Angeles hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.