In the much-anticipated basketball game, the Clippers were originally highly anticipated. But on the eve of the game, George was unexpectedly absent due to knee soreness, making the direction of the game confusing.
In the first quarter, the Clippers narrowly led 28-25. The small card played steadily and controlled the pace of the game. The fact that the two sides are back and forth and do not give in to each other seems to indicate that this will be a close contest.
However, heading into the second quarter, the Clippers' woes began to manifest. Harden came on early and gave it his all, but the Clippers still struggled to resist the Kings' fast-break tactics. Brilliant performances from Fox, Barnes and Sabonis put the Kings up to a seven-point lead at halftime.
At the start of the second half, the Clippers tried to adjust their strategy and find the rhythm of the game. But the Kings didn't give the opponent any chance, and launched a wave of 8:0 offensive at the beginning, and the score opened up instantly. Although Lu called a timeout in time, the Clippers' performance did not improve significantly after the timeout. The players were demoralized in the face of setbacks and lost their fighting spirit.
In the fourth quarter of the game, the Clippers sacrificed the Death Five lineup in an attempt to turn things around. However, this tactic did not have the desired effect, and instead made the point difference wider. Wei Shao's performance was even more disappointing, and Tyronn Lue had no choice but to change all the starters. But by this time, the Kings had already played with momentum, and the Clippers were powerless.
In the end, the Clippers lost the game with a score of 107-123, which they had a chance to win. Harden admitted after the game that they must be soberly aware that time and opportunity are running out. George's absence was certainly one reason, but the overall performance of the players was also underwhelming. Coffey actually scored 0 points, and Tucker did little to play any role after entering the rotation. Coach Lu needs to think seriously about how to adjust the team's condition, because there are not many games left.
The loss was undoubtedly a heavy blow to the Clippers. But they will have to quickly adjust their mentality and tactics to meet the challenges ahead. After all, on the basketball court, only constant struggle and struggle can lead to victory.
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