The Clippers continue on a seven-game road trip, and this time they will travel to Washington to face the Wizards. Previously, the Clippers ended a five-game winning streak and lost to the Cavaliers. The Wizards, on the other hand, ushered in their first winning streak of the season after back-to-back victories over the Pistons and Spurs. In terms of roster, the Clippers suffered George missing the game with a groin injury, while the Wizards were unable to play due to Poole's illness.
The results showed that the Clippers' (31-15) Kawhi Leonard had a strong performance, contributing 31 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four steals. Harden also had impressive stats of 25 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and four blocks. For the Wizards (9-38), Kuzma scored 27 points, Kalidou Koulibaly contributed 19 and Kispert scored 16.
Brief introduction of the fourth game of the Crusade: George missed the game due to illness, the card was abandoned again in the last quarter, and Deng Ge left the game early. Boston went through a probationary period and successfully turned to the fullest, while Tyronn Lue invited Admiral Hyland to come out again and successfully saved the Clippers. In the end, the Clippers won by a big margin over the Wizards.
It is worth mentioning that Xiaoka did not play in the fourth quarter of each game, with an average of one break in four games, and it seems that the strategy of rotation rest is no longer adopted. Hyland played five more minutes and managed to force his main players back on the court, which was a powerful strategy. Xiaoka's strong performance in the playoffs may have something to do with this rotational rest strategy, which makes opponents unable to adapt to his style of play.
Regarding the issue of small card free throws, he does not average many free throws per game, and he shows a non-whistle style of play in the game, which is more suitable for the fierce confrontation in the playoffs. In contrast, Leonard is at higher risk of injury, but he has been better in the playoffs. Xiaoka's free throw skills are solid, his feet are steady, and the referee is relatively less inclined to give him a whistle. Hyland played 6 minutes in the game, which also shows how intense the game was.
The Clippers' current game is quite boring, not weak against strong teams, and always settles the battle in the first three quarters against average teams. If you continue to play like this, fans may lose interest, especially those sunspots. Teams may need to adjust their tactics beyond just clocking in for three quarters to avoid losing the motivation of fans.
There aren't many teams in the league that can force all three of Hyland, Boston and Kobe Brown at the same time. These three young players are considered the hope of the future of the team. Xiaoka's rotation strategy may be to give full play to the strength of these three players. It's worth noting that with the average scoring of more than 35 points per game, the referee may think he's a scoring machine, which makes the opponent even more reckless. It remains to be seen whether such a strategy will continue to work in the playoffs.
In the game, Xiaoka showed consistent free throw shooting skills, and three-pointers, rebounds, assists, turnovers and steals were all part of the game. Spectators may need to go to the game in person to get a clearer picture of what the game is really about. The Cavaliers' Mitchell made 12 free throws in today's game against the Pistons and scored a high 40+ points. In comparison, Leonard only made 2 free throws and scored a high score of 30+. There was also no whistle in the last game against the Cavaliers. After years of observation, there is a pattern that players who love to fall are more likely to get the whistle. Due to his solid technical movements and steady footwork, referees are usually less inclined to give him a whistle.
In the end, the Clippers came out on top, but fans may not be happy with their performance against a strong team. Teams need to make tactical adjustments to ensure that the game is more exciting and doesn't lose the enthusiasm of the fans.