In the 2023-24 NBA regular season, the focus game of the Los Angeles Clippers away against the Cleveland Cavaliers was fiercely launched on January 30, Beijing time. The Clippers have been in excellent form lately, winning five straight games against the Raptors and Celtics and currently sitting in third place in the Western Conference with a 30-14 record. The Cavaliers, on the other hand, beat the Bucks in their last game and are currently in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a 27-16 record.
At the beginning of the first quarter of the game, the Clippers had a cold hand on the outside, missing all 7 shots, and could only rely on the scoring advantage on the inside to maintain the game. Despite a strong interior performance, hitting 9 of 13 shots and scoring 25 points as a team, it was clearly not at the normal level of the Clippers. Of the Big Three, Kawaii Leonard had a strong first quarter, scoring eight points on 4-of-9 shooting, while James Harden was in average form, attempting only one shot and failing to score, but grabbed one rebound and two assists. The Cavaliers had excellent scoring output inside and outside, and despite their poor shooting percentage, they still took the lead. At the end of the first quarter, the Cavaliers led by three points at 28-25.
In the second quarter, the Clippers increased their outside shots, but still didn't feel good, hitting only four three-pointers, while the inside shots were limited, with only seven shots, four of which were hit. At the end of the first half, George had only three points and Harden had only four, and the Clippers' Big Three didn't play well. Only Xiaoka was in better shape, scoring 14 points, but overall it was not good enough. The Clippers trailed by four points at halftime, 52-56.
After the rematch, the Cavaliers' hand picked up significantly, and they began to narrow the difference. In this quarter, the Cavaliers hit 4 three-pointers, all of which were under the basket, shooting more than 70% from the field, and got many free throw opportunities, scoring 32 points in a single quarter. Meanwhile, the Clippers' Big Three continued to be in excellent form with only Jr. Ka, who scored 10 points on six shots in the quarter, while George shot just 1-of-5 from the field and scored just seven points. Harden didn't score a point in the quarter. At the end of the third quarter, the Clippers trailed by seven points, 81-88.
At the beginning of the final quarter, the Cavaliers continued to exert their strength, and a wave of small climaxes widened the difference. After LeVert scored a layup, the Cavaliers extended their lead to 12 points, forcing the Clippers to call a timeout. After the timeout, the Clippers switched to a five-man lineup, and they needed other giants to step up and score, and it was impossible to rely on Xiaoka alone to carry the team. However, George fouled the game, leaving the Clippers in a difficult position. The Cavaliers then held on to the lead and eventually defeated the Clippers 118-108 to end the Clippers' five-game winning streak.
In terms of statistics, the Clippers' George had 13 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, and the small card had a great performance with 30 points and 8 rebounds, while the rest of the players had a relatively sluggish performance. For the Cavaliers, Mitchell had 28 points and 12 assists, Strus contributed 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists, and Allen had 20 points and 17 rebounds to complete the victory.
Despite the disappointing results, the game still showcased the intensity and variability of the NBA regular season. The Clippers will need to recalibrate their form and roster to meet the challenges ahead. They still have the quality to compete for the championship, but they need to make a breakthrough in team coordination and individual performance. The loss in this game will be the impetus for their further growth.