The first John Wall-Chris Paul showdown of the season turned into a mismatch, with Wall controlling the game with 10 points and 11 assists and Paul struggling with a season-high six turnovers Friday night as the Washington Wizards snapped the Los Angeles Clippers' nine-game winning streak with a 104-96 victory.
Wall's impact was greater than his stat line. He turned the game with a blistering sequence late in the first half: an acrobatic assist to Bradley Beal for a 3-pointer, a 3-pointer of his own, a from-behind block of Glen Davis' shot in the paint, and a Wall-on-Paul takeaway created when he poked with his left hand and deflected the ball out of bounds off the Clippers point guard's leg.
The Wizards closed the half with a 12-2 run to lead 57-42 and didn't allow the Clippers any closer than eight points in a second half that included another Wall-poke-the-ball-off-Paul turnover. Fans serenaded Wall with "M-V-P!" in the final minute.
