Harden 26+6+5 steal, Fox 40 points, Leonard 34+9, Clippers to end the Kings' 5-game winning streak at home.
2023-24 NBA season: Clippers beat Kings to end Kings winning streak at home.
On November 30, Beijing time, the 2023-24 NBA regular season continued to be fierce, and the Clippers successfully defeated the Kings with a score of 131-117 on the road, ending the Kings' five-game winning streak at home. The statistics of this game show that Harden, Leonard, George and other Clippers players played well, while Fox was the Kings' leading scorer.
Background. Prior to this game, the Clippers lost 104-113 to the Nuggets in their last game, but that didn't affect their morale. It is worth noting that Harden has been mediocre in the last few games, especially in terms of three-point shooting percentage. His attacking desire and aggressiveness have been questioned, as he has failed to take as many shots as expected this season, especially when it comes to scoring in the box. In response, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue made it clear that they need Harden to be more aggressive.
The Kings came back from a comeback win in their last game, overtaking the Warriors by 24 points at one point, and the win also helped them reach the quarterfinals of the midseason tournament. The Kings rank fifth in the league in three-point shooting this season, but against the Warriors, they struggled to shoot three-pointers in the first half. Fox is the scoring core of the Kings, averaging 298 points, 47 rebounds and 61 assist.
Game recap. After the start of the game, at the behest of the coach, Harden behaved very positively. He showed a strong offensive will at the beginning of the game, and completed a wonderful outside cooperation with teammate Leonard, scoring consecutive points. Not only that, but Harden also made the opponent's foul. The Kings players responded immediately, with Barnes and Forbes both hitting three-pointers to tie the score at 8-8. Harden continued to show strong offensive ability, not only hitting consecutive three-pointers, but also completing a 2+1 offense to help the Clippers lead 20-14. Although the Kings narrowed the gap to 3 points, Harden stepped up again, stealing the opponent and counterattacking alone, completing a classic European step layup with a 2+1. At the end of the first quarter, the Clippers led the Kings 35-27. It is worth mentioning that Harden had a great first quarter, scoring 17 points in the first quarter, which is already more than he has scored in a single game in the last five games.
At the start of the second quarter, when the Clippers extended their lead to 11 points, Fox quickly rose to prominence, scoring seven straight points to help the Kings tie the score at 37-43. However, the Clippers did not let up, Willis's dunk started a new round of their offensive climax, Leonard also completed a 2+1 against Barnes, and George hit a three-pointer from the outside, which instantly extended the Clippers' lead to 60-47. Although Fox's three-pointer helped the Kings stabilize their position, George, Mann and Leonard followed up to give the Clippers a 72-50 lead over the Kings at halftime with a 12-0 spurt of attacks.
In the second half, the Clippers still had the upper hand, and Zubac's dunk extended the lead to 25 points. However, the Kings didn't give up, and Fox led a 14-7 comeback to tie the score to 70-88. The Clippers saw that the situation was not good and immediately called a timeout. After the game restarted, Leonard's layup once again disrupted the rhythm of the Kings' offense, and Zubac scored three consecutive strong points. In the final 1:32 of the game, Leonard shook off all the defenders, went all the way to the basket, and successfully completed a magnificent performance of blocking McGee, but unfortunately the free throw failed. Although the Kings had a great performance after that, they trailed the Clippers 81-102 at the end of the third quarter.
Shortly after the start of the fourth quarter, Barnes accidentally pressed Powell's knee the moment he fell to the ground, causing Powell to lie on the floor for a long time. Then, the situation on the court changed, and the Kings came together inside and outside, and after a wave of 14-4 offensive climax, the score was chased to 100-113. However, at the crucial moment, Leonard reappeared and immediately hit a crucial three-pointer. Mann and Harden also contributed in key moments to help the Clippers extend their lead to 17 points. Despite Fox's frequent scoring, the Kings were ultimately unable to turn the game around and lost 117-131 at home to the Clippers.
Starting line-ups for both sides.
Clippers: James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Terrence Mann, Ivica Zubac.
Kings: Daron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Kevin Huerter, Harris Barnes, Chris Duarte.
Epilogue. In this game, the Clippers successfully defeated the Kings with excellent offensive and defensive performances, ending the Kings' winning streak at home. The outstanding play of players such as Harden, Leonard, and George earned the Clippers this victory, while Fox was the Kings' leading scorer. This game once again showcased the fierce competition in the NBA and the excellent performance of the players, and also made fans look forward to more exciting games.