Lou Williams took the time on Friday night to show why he was one of the most important pieces of the offseason trade that landed Chris Paul in Houston. The high-scoring guard did what he does best: he went off, scoring an incredible 35 points for the Los Angeles Clippers. Unfortunately for his team, a trade counterpart on the Oklahoma City Thunder one-upped him, resulting in Williams' performance existing in vain and yet another loss for the suddenly-struggling Clippers.

Williams nears three dozen

With Patrick Beverley dealing with an injury, Williams had an opportunity to enter the starting lineup on Friday night.

He took full advantage of that opportunity, reminding Clippers fans of the glory days, when Jamal Crawford shot with reckless, yet accurate abandon. His ability to make something out of nothing is desperately needed on the team and he demonstrated how he could swing momentum - and the lead - with just one long flick of the wrist.

The 45-foot jumper was just one of many shots Williams was showing off on Friday night, which proved to be the best bench performance from a Clippers sixth man since Crawford dropped 37 in January 2014. In fact, it was the most points off the bench anybody has scored in the NBA to this point in the season.

Six of the baskets were from three-point distance, while he also snatched seven rebounds and dished three assists.

Clippers continue slide

While Williams was swishing, the rest of the Clippers were missing. Blake Griffin shot 5-of-19, including 1-of-7 from beyond the arc.

Meanwhile, Paul George had his best game in a Thunder jersey, scoring 42 points and finishing just a rebound and three assists shy of a triple-double; the Thunder handled Los Angeles at home, winning 120-111.

At the start of the season, it looked like the Clippers were not going to miss a beat after sending Chris Paul to Houston.

They've now lost four in a row, however, and six of their last seven to fall below .500 for the first time this season. This is admittedly a tough stretch in their schedule, as their six losses include defeats against the Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs, and Thunder. But that's life in the Western Conference - eat or be eaten.

The Clippers won't have much time to harp on the loss, as they will be right back at it again on Saturday night, when they take a quick trip to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans. Williams is expected to fill in for Beverley once again.
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