In an NBA game that ended today, the Clippers defeated the Kings 119-99, and there was no suspense at all, with the Clippers leading by 8 points in the first quarter, and the difference in the second quarter once reached 30 points. In terms of statistics, Leonard had 31 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists, Harden had 15 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 2 turnovers, and Wang Bang hit 46+10+10 to defeat the King. George had 9 points, 6 assists, 2 steals and 3 turnovers, and did not play in the second half because of groin soreness, Wei Shao had 8 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 turnovers, Powell had 15 points and 2 assists, and Mann had 10 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists.
Now the Clippers have won five in a row, beating opponents such as the Warriors, Nuggets, Jazz, Trail Blazers and Kings, except for the ugly game against the Trail Blazers, the other four games The Clippers have shown strong strength, giving us the feeling that they are on the right track. There are three main reasons why the Clippers suddenly began to exert their strength, the first is to re-establish Leonard's leadership position, because when losing in the past, George often had more shots than Leonard, and the small card is like a second-in-command, in terms of scoring ability and stability, George is far inferior to Leonard, so it is difficult for the Clippers to lose if the ball is handed over to the small card. During the five-game winning streak, Leonard was a god.
11 of 14 against the King, 11 of 19 in the last game, 14 of 23 against the Jazz, Leonard's ball possession is increasing, and the efficiency is ridiculously high. The second point is that Harden has gradually adapted to the Clippers' system, which is basically pass-based, and handed over to Leonard as soon as possible after halftime, with a beard, Leonard's scoring is indeed much easier, and at the same time, Harden and Zubac's blocking and dismantling are also becoming more and more skilled, and the beard actually wants to shoot more and score more, but Tyronn Lue does not allow him to do this, and Lu believes that Harden is here to pass.
The third point is quite critical, Tyronn Lue is deliberately weakening the role of Wei Shao, Harden holds the ball in Harden, Harden is not there, Leonard often holds the ball, and then in the bench transition stage, Harden will lead the bench lineup to play, and the result is that Wei Shao's playing time is further compressed, Tyronn Lue knows very well in his heart that Harden's role for the Clippers should be above Wei Shao, because the beard has the ability to shoot, and the Clippers will not face the situation of being 5 and 4 by the opponent. It should be noted that at the end of the third quarter, Harden and Westbrook were on the floor at the same time, and Tyronn Lue seemed to be testing whether the two could be compatible, but fortunately it was garbage time at the time, and the Clippers were fine even if they made mistakes.
Leonard was interviewed after the game and said this about the big win: "In the last two games we started the game with a fight, we defended the opponent, we threw the ball in the offensive end, our defense drove us forward, we had a solid team and we had a good attitude. Leonard understands what he meant, believing that the Clippers' winning streak was due to a very good start to the first quarter, and Leonard also praised the Clippers' defense. Later, when talking about the impact of Harden's arrival, Leonard said: "Working with a player like Harden makes your job much easier. ”
Leonard continued: "You all know how great Harden is, he's the best point guard in the league, my game is so much easier, Harden gives me open open shots, and that's all I could ask for. Leonard is a thorough analyst, and he believes that Harden is still a top point guard, and the outside world underestimates the beard. Similarly, Harden was interviewed about his five-game winning streak: "Tonight was a beautiful win, in the last eight to 10 games we've been really good, videotaping, communicating, we're improving every game, the season is still long, but like I said, we're going in the right direction." ”
Harden is really confident, he thinks the Clippers are on the right track to become a strong team in the league, but at the same time, Harden also said that the Clippers still have room for improvement. In fact, to put it bluntly, it is not difficult for the Clippers to win, Harden is in control, Leonard is in charge, George assists in offense and defense, Wei Shao rushes to rebound or plays a quick counterattack when he is on the court, it is enough to do this, the only thing that needs to be complained about is Wei Shao and George, the two of them have to reduce mistakes and unnecessary shots. The Clippers' next opponents are the Warriors, Knicks, Pacers, Mavericks, Thunder and Green Army, which can be called the devil's schedule, and we hope that the Clippers can continue their winning streak.