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BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Los Angeles Clippers power forward Johnathan Motley finishes a dunk in front of Shanghai Sharks center Zhang Zhaoxu in the fourth quarter.
BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Clippers point guard Derrick Walton Jr. looks to pass with Shanghai Sharks guard Shi Yuchen defending in the first quarter.
The Los Angeles Clippers concluded their third straight year of training camp in Hawaii with a 127-87 rout of the Shanghai Sharks at the Stan Sheriff Center today.
The Clippers’ role players and roster hopefuls were enough to soundly defeat the Chinese Basketball Association team, as the they earned separation in the second quarter and coasted from there in their second of five games before opening the regular season on Oct. 22 against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center.
Unlike Thursday night’s exhibition that featured Houston Rockets guard James Harden, won 109-96 by the Rockets, this one lacked for star power on the floor. The Clippers’ two superstars, Kawhi Leonard (rest) and Paul George (injury recovery) remained on the bench as they did Thursday, this time reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams did as well.
Newly acquired forward Maurice Harkless led the Clippers with 16 points on 7-for-7 shooting, forward JaMychal Green supplied 13 and energetic big man Montrezl Harrell added 12 off the bench. Reserve Johnathan Motley dunked his way to 11 points.
The 10,300-seat Sheriff Center was a little more than half full after nearly 9,000 turned out for Thursday’s sold-out contest.
It was a seven-point game after a quarter, but the Clippers burst away with a 12-0 run and a plus-23 point differential in the second period.
The Clippers’ deep reserves turned it in to a dunk-fest in the fourth quarter.
The Sharks’ two foreign players, Lithuanian big man Donatas Motiejunas and American wing James Nunnally, carried most of the scoring load for the CBA team. The former NBA players combined for 60 points.
The Clippers are 3-2 in preseason games at the Sheriff Center since making their first appearance here against the Toronto Raptors in 2017.
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