LOS ANGELES — Reggie Jackson spoke — from the parking lot, via a Zoom link on a cell phone — outside of shootaround Saturday morning about the importance of landing that proverbial first punch if the Clippers want to live up to their billing as one of the NBA’s teams worth fearing.
“We want to come out and hit first,” the Clippers guard said, “rather than counterpunch.”
His squad followed through Saturday night, staggering Charlotte with an early barrage that paved the way for an easy 125-98 victory.
Looking energized after two days without a game, the Clippers (26-16) made seven of their first nine shots and 15 of their first 21 to build a 16-point first-quarter lead that would grow to as many as 31 at the comfort of Staples Center, where they’ll play 10 of their next 12 games.