After winning against the Lakers, the Nets almost achieved the double on Sunday evening against the Clippers. Mikal Bridges' teammates started the game with a 16-0 lead, and they still led by 18 points in the fourth quarter. And then, the Clippers woke up, and they went 22-0 to finish the match!
“They hit us hard from the start of the match, but in the 4th quarter, we played Clippers basketball. We made some stops, and the rest is history.” comments James Hardenauthor of 24 points and 10 assists. “It was like a party. The energy was at its peak. That’s what home field advantage is for! »
A 10th victory in 12 matches
It is indeed an end to the match “for history” since for 25 years, only two teams had finished a match 22-0. So the Clippers since on November 30, 2009, Eric Gordon's teammates overthrew the Grizzlies in the last quarter, winning 33-7.
To sign this 10th victory in 12 matches, the Clippers were able to count on a great Kawhi Leonard in the “money time”. The two-time Finals MVP woke up at the right time. “He finally found his rhythm,” confirms Tyronn Lue. “He is ill, and did not train the day before. We didn’t know if he was going to play…”
The Clippers never give up
Another driving force: Russell Westbrook. Author of 23 points coming off the bench, the former MVP shook his teammates with his aggression. “They jumped on us at the start of the match, but we were the most aggressive at the end of the match. We were both offensive and defensive. We attacked them with our size, going into the paint and making the right reads. As you could see, it changed the whole dynamic of the match.”
More than the 22-0, Paul George retains the mental resources of the group. “We will always be able to finish matches well. What's good about this group is that we never give up and think that a match is never over.” underlines the Clippers winger.
A confidence that allows them to come back on the heels of the Wolves, the Thunder and the Nuggets. Tyronn Lue's men have only two more defeats than the Wolves! It's another turnaround, when we remember the struggle at the start of the season after the arrival of James Harden.
