On November 6, James Harden made his debut with the Clippers, traveling to Madison Square Garden. This lost meeting would launch the start of a complicated marriage between the two parties. A month and a half later, Californians show a completely different face.
Facing the same opponents, the Knicks, this time they won, by a large margin (144-122), and confirmed that they were riding the best current dynamic within the league, with a seventh consecutive victory. A success which bears the mark of Kawhi Leonard still impressive at the heart of the best offensive performance of the year for the Californians: 144 points, a well-distributed score (seven players with 10 points or more) and excellent percentages (57% including 48% at 3-points).
It's simple, Tyronn Lue's players have not finished a quarter with less than 30 points scored. At the break, after 42 points scored in the previous 12 minutes, the locals led by around ten points (77-66). They will continue their efforts in the following 12 minutes thanks to the Kawhi Leonard – Paul George tandem, author of 30 of the team's 37 points in the period.
Overwhelmed by the opponent's pace, and undoubtedly worn out by their good fight the day before in Phoenix, the Knicks tried to stay in contact thanks to the circle attacks of their gang of left-handers, Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle and RJ Barrett. But Kawhi Leonard, who will not need to play the fourth quarter, and the Clippers were too inspired offensively to falter.
They started the last quarter with a comfortable cushion (114-98), before gaining a lead of up to 32 points to quietly win. The Clippers (15v-10d) are in 6th place in the West but can project themselves higher, while the Knicks (14v-11d) occupy the same place in their conference.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Julius Randle overwhelmed in defense. Like his entire team of course, which had already conceded 146 points against the Bucks at the beginning of the month. But the Knicks interior was the one most often tasked with holding down Kawhi Leonard. What he was completely unable to do, facing the power, speed and technique of the Clippers winger. For example, he crossed him before getting the foul, dominated in the post or penalized at 3-points without Julius Randle deigning to come out on him. Tom Thibodeau must not have liked it very much. Just as he must not like the fact that his team, in December, is worst defense in the league (128 points out of 100 possessions)!
– Russell Westbrook rooms Josh Hart. The Knicks player was expelled, after two technical fouls in quick succession, at the start of the second quarter for having opened up a little too much in front of a referee. A premature return to the locker room “welcomed” by his Clippers counterpart.
– Throws record. At halftime, the Clippers had already tried their luck… 30 times (26/30) on the free throw line. A record in a first period this season for a team in the league. They only got four more in the second half, where the Knicks shot 26 (23/26) in total.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
