The 115-134 loss to the Thunder and the end of the winning streak weren't frustrating because the Clippers had overdone the task.
From a 6-game losing streak to a 5-3 streak to a 9-game winning streak, the Clippers are firmly in the top 8 in the West, and the next focus is on midseason trades and keeping their main players healthy.
The Clippers are really scared, if they choose between a winning streak and health, the Clippers will definitely choose the latter, even if the Thunder is a potential opponent in the playoffs, the Clippers decisively rotate Leonard, who played in 27 consecutive games, averaging 34Five minutes, an early rotation must be better than an injury break, and besides, the Clippers are not for nothing.
Oklahoma City Thunder – One of the biggest dark horses of the season, the combination of Alexander and Holmgren is amazingly dominant, with Alexander averaging 30 per gameWith 7 points, first-year Holmgren is already a strong contender for DPOY, as strong as Jokic and Sabonis have not taken advantage of him.
The inside line is the weakest link of the Clippers, in the first half, the Clippers tried Zubac to protect the frame and eat cakes, and the projection lineup of the outside three guards was very poor, and Holmgren completely destroyed Zubac.
Zubac was abandoned in the second half, Theis played 5, Holmgren was pulled to the outside, and the main breakthrough was played, and Holmgren only had 1 rebound in the entire second half, and the Clippers shot 70% from the field in the second half. In the face of a strong inside line, it is still reliable to rely on Tess to open up space.
With 4 games in 5 days, the opponents are all playoff teams, and a loss to the Thunder is completely acceptable. In fact, against the Mavericks, the Clippers were ready to lose, but the lead in the first half was too much, and Harden and Leonard worked overtime to close the game.
After returning to the top 8 in the West, the Clippers strictly controlled the playing time of the Big Three, and the individual playing time was about 30 minutes, and when Leonard and George were rested, the playing time of the other two was appropriately increased by 5-8 minutes. Win the game that can be won resolutely, and on the contrary, leave work at the speed of light.
Two back-to-back, the Clippers' devil schedule continues, against the Celtics in the early morning of December 24, with a 31-hour interval between games, which is equivalent to three consecutive back-to-backs, and the opponent is still the league's No. 1 Celtics.
George Flu has not yet **, Harden has played 23 games in a row, the Clippers can consider taking a rest, and the Big Three are all resting at the extreme, and the Clippers' schedule will be better after this battle.