Four players were ejected at Staples Center arena - which
both teams call home - after a scuffle under the basket with 5.7 seconds
remaining.
After Lamar Odom grabbed Griffin's jersey while fighting
for a rebound, Baron Davis intervened and pushed Odom in the chest.
That led to some more shoving and after the officials
discussed it Odom, Griffin, Davis and Ron Artest all were ejected - a decision
that left Griffin and Artest looking confused.
Lakers star Kobe Bryant had 27 points and nine rebounds,
and Andrew Bynum added 18 points and 13 rebounds for the reigning NBA
champions.
But it was the young Clippers who had the edge in the
final period.
Davis had 14 points and eight assists as the Clippers won
for the fourth time in five games with yet another strong performance against
en elite team.
They beat the star-studded Miami Heat four days earlier.
The Clippers used a 16-3 scoring run to erase a 12-point
third-quarter deficit.
They limited the Lakers' Pau Gasol to 13 points and eight
rebounds before he fouled out and foiled the Lakers' bid for a second
eight-game winning streak this season.
In another match, Tony Parker scored 30 points for San
Antonio, Carmelo Anthony labored through a rough game as rumors of an imminent
trade slightly cooled, and the Spurs beat the Denver Nuggets 110-97 on Sunday
night.
Anthony may have more games in a Nuggets uniform yet.
Coach George Karl said before tip-off he wasn't aware of
any drastic changes, and New Jesey Nets coach Avery Johnson also tried quieting
rumors of an upcoming deal.
Talks of a blockbuster trade that would ship Anthony to
the Nets have lately intensified. Pressed about the possibility Sunday, Johnson
said the Nets' roster won't budge between now and Friday, the New Jersey
Star-Ledger reported.
Anthony, upbeat before the game, scored 12 points on just
5 of 17 shooting.
The NBA-best Spurs (35-6) won their sixth in a row.
