In the NBA regular season on December 22, the Thunder, who were playing at home, defeated the Clippers 134-115, and the Thunder won three in a row.
After a series of tough battles, the Clippers seem to be a little weak in the game against the Thunder on the road. After yesterday's fierce battle with the Dallas Mavericks, the Clippers didn't get enough rest and moved to the Thunder's home court, where they faced a dynamic and physical team.
At the start of the game, the Clippers clearly failed to get into the groove quickly, and the Thunder, led by Alexander, launched a fierce offensive and quickly built a double-digit lead. Surprisingly, Thunder players such as Josh Giddey and others frequently fired on the outside, especially Giddey, as a point guard who is not known for his three-point shooting, but he frequently won on the outside in this game.
The Clippers' disadvantage is not only due to the fatigue of back-to-back games, but more importantly, the team's core Kawaii Leonard is absent for this game. Leonard has been flawless this season, not only with a high level of attendance, but also with an adaptation to the style of play, making him the most reliable player in the team. His absence has undoubtedly weakened the Clippers' fighting power.
George's comeback failed to fill Leonard's void, which once again proved the gap between him and Leonard in terms of offensive stability and confidence. When Leonard isn't on the floor, opponents can feel more comfortable focusing their defensive resources on George and Harden, putting more defensive pressure on these two players.
The Clippers seized on the gap in the second quarter when the Thunder players were injured and played a small surge, but it didn't change the overall trend of the game. The Thunder responded quickly after the adjustment and knocked the Clippers back to the underdog. At the start of the fourth quarter, the Clippers coach removed all of his starters, apparently accepting the loss.
Although the Clippers' winning streak came to an end in Oklahoma City, the team has shown great strength and resilience from 12th place in the West to the top four. The loss may put the Clippers into a brief cooling-off period, but it is believed that it will not change the overall trend of their rise in the West. In the process, we may be able to expect more exciting games from the Clippers in the future, after all, who doesn't love to watch a basketball feast full of passion and energy?