The Clippers' 5-game winning streak came to an end, and it was a big upset! Small card 30 8 3 hard work, Harden quasi-triple-double, George 6 fouls!
The 2023-24 NBA season is in full swing Beijing time, and the Clippers in Los Angeles will play the Cavaliers in Cleveland on the road, the most important game between the East and the West. The Clippers have been in excellent form in recent times, winning five in a row after victories over the Raptors and Celtics, and they are now 30-14 in third place in the East. This is the Clippers' third game in the Eastern Conference, and the rest are some underdogs, so the Clippers will be hoping to maintain their winning streak. The Cavaliers won the last round against the Bucks and are now in fifth place, 27-16.
In the first quarter of the game, the Clippers' perimeter players did not perform well, hitting all seven shots, and most of the time they took advantage of the restricted area. With just nine of 13 shots, the team scored 25 points, a performance that was clearly beyond the level of the Clippers. Among the three superstars, Xiaoka scored 8 points on 4-of-9 shooting in the first quarter, while Harden had a mediocre performance in the first quarter, with only 1 rebound and 2 assists. They hurt both inside and outside, but their shooting wasn't ideal. At the end of the first quarter, the Cavaliers had a 3-3 advantage at 28-25;
In the second quarter, the Clippers began to shoot from beyond the three-point line, but their state did not change much, although they scored four three-pointers, but the three-pointers were very few, only seven three-pointers, only four scored. George scored 3 points at halftime, Harden scored 4 points, among the big three, in addition to the small card can also play, the half also scored 14 points, and several other superstars did not play their peak, 56:52 in the first half, the Clippers were still 4 points behind.
The game continued, and the Cavaliers' performance in this quarter was getting better and better, and the score was getting closer and closer. In this quarter, the Cavaliers made four three-pointers in a row, all near the basket, shooting a 70% success rate, and he also got a lot of free throws, scoring 32 points. Among the three, Xiaoka is still there, he scored 10 points in three of six in the first quarter, George's shooting is also one of five, and when he shoots, his shooting is also one of five! But he made all five free throws and scored seven points; At the end of the third quarter, Harden did not score, and the Clippers trailed by seven points at 81-88;
Entering the second half, with LeVert making a layup, the Cavaliers extended the score to 12 points, and the Clippers also called a halt to the game at this time! After the timeout, Lue sent out a five-man squad, but the Clippers still need more superstars to score, and Xiaoka alone can't do it.
Soon, the Clippers began to overtake the score, but George's 6 fouls put them in a desperate situation! The Cavaliers then continued to hold on to their advantage, winning 118-108 over the Clippers to snap up two wins and end the Clippers' five-game victory.