On March 5, Beijing time, the NBA regular season staged a wonderful continuation today. Unfortunately, the Clippers suffered a 106-113 loss to the Bucks on the road, ending a two-game winning streak.
Although the two teams have similar records and seem to be in a strong conversation, the Bucks are facing the dilemma of two core players in this game, Antetokounmpo and Middleton, who are unable to play. It was supposed to be a game in which the Clippers had a clear advantage, and they held a double-digit lead for most of the game, reaching as many as 15 points at one point.
However, the Bucks launched a fierce counterattack in the final quarter and gradually eroded the Clippers' lead. Sadly, the Clippers failed to step up and stop the Bucks' momentum, and they were eventually reversed. By the end of the game, the Clippers' record had dropped to 39-21 and remained firmly in fourth place in the West. So, what exactly caused this loss? The data may be able to give us some clues.
When it comes to player performance, this game can be said to be a performance by Harden. He contributed 11 points in the first quarter to help the Clippers build the lead. In the games that followed, Harden continued to attack the whole team, relegating his performance to the background. However, at a crucial moment when the Bucks launched a counterattack, Harden stepped up again and contributed 10 points in the final quarter.
There's no denying that Harden played quite consistently in today's game and can almost be said to be a player who can "stand and leave". However, back-to-back games have left Harden tired, and the Clippers can't rely on him alone.
If other players can't step up, even if the Bucks are missing two core players, the Clippers will struggle to stop the opponent's comeback. Statistically, Harden's shooting performance was 9-of-16 from the field, 5-of-10 from three-point range, 6-of-9 from the free-throw line, and he contributed 29 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 block, and 3 turnovers.
Leonard really has to understand that Xiao Ka really pulled his crotch today. It seems that the "robot" didn't seem to adjust the program to the correct frequency today, especially in the crucial moment of chasing points, he actually missed free throws.
Statistically, Leonard's performance today was not satisfactory, shooting 6-of-19, 2-of-8 three-pointers, 2-of-3 free throws, and only 16 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, 1 block and 1 turnover. While he is still strong on the defensive end, he will need to take on the responsibility of leading the team and show more efficiency and aggression on the offensive end.
As for George, overall, he was quite efficient. He shot 10-of-17 from the field, 6-of-10 from three-point range and 3-of-7 from the free-throw line, and finished with 29 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 3 turnovers. But it's clear that George has slipped on the defensive end and can't match the intensity he had against Downs before.
His plus/minus of -12 presence reveals a lot of problems. At the critical moment, George seemed to score 11 points in a single quarter, and in fact, when the Clippers desperately needed to score, Leonard basically took the responsibility. George didn't start hitting three-pointers until the team collapsed, and the description was as good as "the child died and came to milk". Even in the final moments of the game, George swiped a three-pointer.
For Powell, today's performance was really underwhelming. Bobby pulled his hip and he came off the bench for 34 minutes, shooting 2-of-8 from the field, 1-of-6 from three-point range and 1-of-2 from the free-throw line. Except for a corner three-pointer in the final moment, Powell's performance outside the three-point line was not satisfactory. While he had a number of good chances, he was visibly bothered by the impact of back-to-back games and was in fairly average form overall.
Zubac's performance today was average, and it felt like he wasn't quite **, a bit of a hasty comeback. He shot just 50% from the field and had 6 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 turnovers. Whether it's running or defending, he doesn't look like he's back to his pre-injury form. But if the Clippers want to play better in the playoffs, Zubac's role is still important.
Mann's performance was not as good as it could be, with only 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 turnover. Although he is motivated, he is too inefficient. Especially when the Big Three are heavily guarded, many opportunities come to Mann, but he doesn't dare to shoot from the outside, and the finishing efficiency after the air cut is also very low.
The other bench players, like Theis, Coffey, Hyland, to be honest, performed like that. The three of them combined for just 43 percent shooting8%, and only 33 three-pointers3%。Although they combined for 16 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 2 turnovers, except for Coffey, the other two were at least able to maintain the team's stability on the court. It looks like the Clippers still need to make some adjustments in terms of fitness, especially the lack of Wei Shao, which does have a certain impact on their vitality.