LOS ANGELES -- Doc Rivers push to transform DeAndre Jordan into a dominant interior defender is already paying dividends. Challenged by Rivers before the season began to win the NBAs defensive player of the year award, Jordan is working toward the honour with the kind of performance he had against the Pelicans. Jordan had 14 points and 20 rebounds -- two off his career high -- and Blake Griffin had 21 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out with 4:05 left in the Los Angeles Clippers 108-95 victory Wednesday night. "Its fun to take on that challenge," Jordan said. "Its part of my job to be energetic. If Im not playing well I can still play with energy and that spark to get other guys going." Chris Paul added his own double-double against his former team, with 12 points and 11 assists in the Clippers third straight win. "Outstanding," Paul said of Jordans effort. "He had five blocks, too. He was MVP of the game. We were a little sluggish. D.J. kept telling us, Come on, fellas." Jared Dudley had 20 points, one of seven Clippers in double figures. Jamal Crawford scored 17 points, making 10 of 11 free throws, and Darren Collison added 14, hitting all nine of his free throws. "D.J. kept us in it with his defence and rebounding," Clippers coach Rivers said. "Hes just going after things. He accepts his role and hes become a star in it. Hes still going to score by doing all of that stuff." Anthony Davis led the Pelicans with 24 points and 12 rebounds in his return after missing seven games with a broken left hand. "Its great just to get back out there with my teammates, have fun and do the things that Im used to doing," he said. "Ive got to get back in a rhythm. You can work out for as much as you want and train as much as you want, but that game rhythm is a lot different. Hopefully it wont take me long to get my shot back and the plays I usually make and get back in the groove." Ryan Anderson added 17 points, Jrue Holiday had 13 points and 10 assists, and Tyreke Evans had a triple-double of 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists after missing the past two games with a sprained left ankle. "When I got in and started running up and down the floor, it was a little tight. But coach kept me out there and it got looser," Evans said. "It was big (getting himself and Davis back), but were going to need everybody on this team. Everybodys a big key, but were still learning to play with each other." Austin Rivers, the 21-year-old son of Doc Rivers, had two points while playing 14 minutes in a reserve role. "Its my first time beating him so thats nice," said the elder Rivers, whose wife watched the game on TV. "She was cheering for Austin 100 per cent." New Orleans lost for the third straight game and fifth time in its past seven. The Clippers reserves carried them in the fourth when Griffin didnt score before fouling out. Willie Green hit two of their five 3-pointers in the quarter, with Dudley adding two of his four and Paul tossing one in, too. "We kept a double-digit lead but you never felt comfortable because we couldnt pull away," Rivers said. "We played pretty flat." The Clippers pulled away in the third after the Pelicans closed within four points. Crawford beat the shot clock with a 3-pointer, launching a 15-2 run that extended the Clippers lead to 70-53. Griffin scored six points. Davis scored the Pelicans final four points to get them to 78-65 heading into the fourth. NOTES: With no practice Thursday, comedy fan Griffin said he planned to see Will Ferrell in "Anchorman 2." ... Clippers F Matt Barnes dressed and was cleared to play, but didnt as he returns from surgery to repair a torn retina in his left eye. ... Former Clippers Eric Gordon (nine points) and Al-Farouq Aminu (six points) both started against their former team. ... World Cup Jersey . The second-ranked Nadal helped Spain beat France 4-1 in the semifinals to set up the Dec. 2-4 final on the hosts favoured clay surface at Olympic Stadium in Seville. Fifth-ranked David Ferrer is set to play singles alongside Nadal, while Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco should team-up for doubles, although Spain captain Albert Costa also included recent Valencia Open winner Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez as playing partners. . Sharp left Sundays game against the Detroit Red Wings moments after scoring his 20th goal of the season - just 4:19 into the contest - and didnt return. "Sharpies going to be out three-to-four weeks with an upper-body injury," head coach Joel Quenneville said. [url=http://www.brazilsoccerteamstore.com/World-Cup-Neymar-Brazil-Jersey.html]ht... . The company announced on its blog that it and Woods have made a "mutual decision to end our partnership" and that the company would keep working with the PGA Tour on its next golf title. [url=http://www.brazilsoccerteamstore.com/World-Cup-Luiz-Gustavo-Brazil-Jersey.h... Gustavo Jersey . Ever since he arrived last week, the Kings have been a solid offensive team -- and the power forward finally added a couple of goals himself during Los Angeles latest win in the Freeway Faceoff. Kaka Brazil Jersey . Now, he wants to help the Canucks figure out what went wrong this season.WASHINGTON -- The Washington Nationals placed Gio Gonzalez on the 15-day disabled list Sunday because of inflammation in his pitching shoulder. This is the first time the 28-year-old left-hander has gone on the disabled list. Gonzalez (3-4) dropped his third straight start in Saturdays 5-2 loss to the New York Mets. He lasted only three innings, allowing five runs and seven hits, which raised his ERA to 4.62. Gonzalez gave up seven runs and nine hits in his previous start at Oakland. General manager Mike Rizzo said Gonzalez had an MRI on Sunday in which dye is injected. He will not be able to throw for five days. "Hell miss two starts," Rizzo said of the initial plan. "Well find out whats going in (Gonzalezs shoulder) and take it from there." The Nationals recalled Ryan Mattheus from Triple-A Syracuse. Gonzalez left a start in late April because of shoulder tightness. "He passed a strength test. Combined having a little soreness (Saturday) with a little soreness a month ago, we thought this was a prudent way to do it," Rizzo said before Sundays series finale with the New York Mets. Gonzalez side-stepped questions about his heealth Saturday, but spoke with Rizzo following his latest loss.dddddddddddd. "I dont have a great concern level for it right now just because the way Gio said he felt after the game," Rizzo said. Gonzalez lost command of the strike zone Saturday, falling behind in the count and throwing 84 pitches in three innings. "I thought he looked fine," said Rizzo about whether he saw an injured pitcher on the mound. "His arm speed was good. His spin was fine. As good as its always been on his breaking ball. His fastball velocity was good. The command part of it, which sometimes comes and goes with Gio anyway, was the thing that was causing him an issue." Gonzalez went 32-16 during his first two seasons with the Nationals after a trade with the Oakland As. He made at least 32 starts in each of his previous four seasons. "Hes a big key to the ball club," Rizzo said. "Wed like to get him back. Were going to take our time with him and be careful with him because hes vital to the ball club." Mattheus has 140 career appearances with the Nationals, including two this season. He has not allowed a run in three innings. ' ' '