Clippers fend off Lakers in Kobe's last Christmas game

Kobe Bryant played an NBA game on Christmas for the 16th and final time Friday, but unfortunately for the five-time champion, the Los Angeles Clippers weren't in a giving spirit.

The Clippers survived a late comeback attempt by the Lakers to earn a 94-84 victory, and worsen Bryant's Christmas record to 6-10.

Chris Paul was in true "Point God" form, leading the Clippers (17-13) with 23 points on 11-of-19 shooting as his team snapped its three-game losing streak.

The Clippers' second unit - which ranks 23rd in the NBA in scoring at 31.4 points per game (Hoopsstats.com) - squandered away the lead the team's starters put together at the end of the third quarter (85-57), with the Lakers' bench going on a 17-2 run to open the fourth. This forced Doc Rivers to send his All-Stars back in the fray, which they looked none too pleased about as they approached the scorer's table.

The Lakers got to within seven during the game's final minutes, but couldn't cut further into the deficit after former Laker Wesley Johnson (eight points in 10 minutes) hit a clutch 3-pointer.

Blake Griffin had his 12th double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 rebounds, narrowly missing out on his first triple-double with seven assists. DeAndre Jordan was a monster on the glass with 14 boards, while Jamal Crawford was the lone bright spot off the bench, dropping 13 points in 19 minutes.

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Bryant, who didn't hit his first bucket until the second quarter, wasn't on the floor late as the Lakers made their run, finishing with 12 points - his lowest scoring total for a Christmas game since 2001 when he had 12 against the Philadelphia 76ers, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

The future Hall of Famer now has 395 career points on Christmas, an NBA record.

Neither team shot the ball particularly well, a common trend throughout all of Friday's game, with none of the 10 teams converting more than 45 percent of their attempts.

There will be no rest for the weary with the Clippers, who will hit the road to take on the Utah Jazz on Boxing Day at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Lakers have a day off before making their way to FedExForum in Memphis to battle the Grizzlies on Sunday.