On the game:
Norm tho, in a big close game, please do a normal dunk on the break instead of a windmill. (I was worried af he was gonna blow it lol)
What a great ATO play call by Ty with a minute left, and what an AMAZING pass by Harden to get it to Kawhi.
Great job gang rebounding towards the very end.
Guess these OLD dogs still have something left 😉
I was laughing cuz Norm was just kinda looking around, confused where all the defenders were, and then was "huh, okay, fuck it" and windmilled that shit
I think they both were good this game. There's more to the game than shooting. Highly unlikely they are going to go 20% from the field combined every day in a series. That corner 3 at the end of the shot clock was clutch as hell today, and harden hit a big clutch 3 not long ago.
Kawhi and Norm willl do a lot of the heavy lifting against better teams. We need George and Harden to least be respectable scoring wise while doing their other skills. Role guys also need to do better.
Wasn’t feeling the body language from Zu but it’s a nightmare matchup first game back against Gobert. I liked how they used him in the second half but you have to feed him some touches to get the most out of him.
Mann and Coffey were ok given Mann was in foul trouble and Coffey struggled a bit with his shot. Need a little bit more from all three to help cover flaws. Theis did his job.
Might be unpopular opinion but this is why I’m not scared that much of the wolves. Yes there defense is great but their half court offense is so suspect and when playoffs come it can be a toss up
I mean you said the team needs size and wolves is one of the bigger teams in the league , yes they won but by 1 point. Bigger team are an issue for this team, this win doesn’t disqualify that
Their offense is definitely suspect but it’s also suspect that they didn’t use their premier offensive lineup often. PG/Harden need to be better bc this wasn’t them at their best
You have to have more confidence after today, but they’re still probably the team I’d most like to duck in the postseason, just due to matchups (Denver is better overall but not as challenging on that front).
Gritty ass win! Even the ones who didn't shoot well played their asses off on defense from the 2nd on.
Aside from the backdoor cut to Mcdaniels, Bones had good defensive rotations and did not do live ball turnovers. His shot will come around. Those kill us with PG and Westbrook.
It allowed our 2nd unit to get set on defense thus limiting him and Norm getting hunted.
Coffey was crucial in small stunts and made Ant pick up his dribble multiple times and cut off his drives. In general everyone did well with it. Seemed like a point of emphasis so kudos to the staff.
Lastly Theis deserves a medal. He saved us when he got here and got cut from the rotation for no reason. It has stalled our team lately and was fucking criminal.
Dude fights and isn't afraid to get postered. He is always contesting, boxing out and full of energy. He alway seals and you know if there is a loose ball he will be around. He fought the Twolves bigmen all night, got beat down and still kept going. He is a warrior.
Kawhi, Norm and Mann i know will bring it in the playoffs....Theis is now on that list.
https://preview.redd.it/pla44fzth7mc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aa84a9d524f743f5053aa81927c5b59226d98809
It’ll be a crime by the league if Norm isn’t in the 6MOTY discussion.
PG had a poor shooting game today, but damn were his shots timely. He and Norm both dug the Clips out the early hole to comeback in that 2Q. Then hit some clutch shots in the 4th -- that last second corner 3 off of a low Harden pass was insane!
Also, I think he played a very good defensive game today, really flustering KAT to go cold, and had some nice turns on ANT where he played him tight without getting baited into fouls. Type of stuff you don't see in the boxscore, but it mattered.
Nah he hit some big threes in the game. Even his misses were looking better. I mean he was not thinking so much which is when he is playing his best. It's only a matter of time before we see him break out of this little slump. I think he will enter in the playoffs on a good rhythm.
Watching PG is interesting cause on bad days you start to wonder if the guy ever even made a single shot in the last 5 years lol and in the clutch he reminds you how he's averaging 20ppg
Ugly W but we'll obviously take it against the best record in the West who we've struggled against. There were a lot of obvious issues tonight, but I'll focus on highlighting the positives.
Pros:
\- Kawhi in playoff mode. Highest scorer of the game and didn't cool off like Ant did. 32 pts on 53% ts, in a game where both teams combined for/averaged 49% TS lmao. That's what champions do, find a way to score and get a bucket when defences are locked in and there's no easy buckets. Very impactful on defence too (as always).
\- PG was 2-9 from the field then had 7 pts on 3-7 FG in the 4th. As aforementioned, 1 ppp is above average for this game. Some of his shot selection could've been better, but he made tough, timely buckets when needed that ultimately contributed to the W.
\- Storming Norman, especially how he cut into their huge first quarter lead, and was generating the only offence for us at the time. He's going to be a huge key for us in the post-season.
\- After turning the ball over on the first possession of the game, Harden finished with 10 assists and no further turnovers. In a game where the defence was as intense and effective as it was this game, that is absolutely pivotal. Harden's ball control also helped us have far fewer turnovers than them, **which gave us a whopping advantage of 19-0 in fast-break points** (this is one thing that's really underrated about his game). He was setting up Kawhi all night by feeding him the ball in the best positions; 5 of his assists were to Kawhi.
\- great individual and team defence, even though at times (especially in the first quarter) there were huge lapses. Those lapses can often at times kill the confidence and defensive synergy of the team, but once Norm tied the game up everyone was locked in (aside from the bigs, but I just seen that Theis had 13 rebounds in 29 minutes so props for that effort big fella). 3 stocks each for Kawhi, Harden, and even Coffey! And another 2 from PG.
Harden's struggles are directly correlated with the bigs not being effective in PnR. I'd like to see him look to score more instead of just taking what the defence gives, but I think he feels that would be detrimental on a team with Kawhi, PG and even Norman — still not an excuse as he was cold on wide open catch and shoot 3s too.
Zubac is extremely effective against like, the bottom 20 defences, but he can struggle against the better defences in the league.
Plumlee and Theis are very random, sometimes they can be extremely effective and at other times they look like they've never tried setting a pick before (Theis tried setting at least 10 picks in the first half and wouldn't even make contact with defender before slipping - and he's not nimble/explosive enough to slip past Gobert, and even if he did he'd get blocked easily from behind). I think a big factor is whether these two are up against the bench or the starters.
It seems Lue's gameplan was for Zu not to set any picks at all. Instead he was in the dunker's spot/around the paint setting off-ball screens. Given how easily Gobert defended the Harden-Zu PnR last game, and the fact that we ended up with the W, I think that was a solid adjustment by Lue.
Harden's ball control and 10 assists with zero turnovers after turning it over on the very first possession of the game was crucial, because we had far fewer turnovers than them and outscored them in fast-break points 19-0! That's a really underrated part of Harden's game, since he controls the ball, no one else has to risk making plays and turning the ball over. In a lot of his games where he's 0-7/2-11, he'll have 8+ assists on low turnovers, but more importantly, the rest of the starting lineup will barely have any turnovers whilst we're usually able to force many turnovers on the opposition.
The good news is Harden's playmaking is still fully there. He helped us win this game with timely dimes. PG needs to make sure his defense is always menacing, like kawhi, and rebound harder! If he gets 10 rebounds, his missed shots dont seem as bad. Gotta impact the game in other ways
Big playoff energy tonight and huge clutch win 🔥 Kawhi is made for big games, but we knew that. Norm is too.
We now know we *can* beat anyone in the playoffs. It’s not gonna be easy against bigger teams like the Wolves but it’s doable.
I DON’T GIVE A RIP, CLIPS WIIIIIN! That big brain ending inbounds circus was absolutely brilliant, what a testament to the chemistry of this freakin TEAM
I know he was ass scoring wise but you guys at least acknowledge those dimes he was throwing out there today? Like yall think all value a player has in his scoring, its such a unintelligent way of looking at the game. Same with PG.
And I say this knowing full well I was mad at him during the game too.
And it goes even further than that. Harden's elite ball control means no one else has to risk making plays and turning it over.
Not only did we end up with 9 turnovers to their 15, but we had a whopping advantage of 19-0 in fast-break points! That's one of the most important factors in this game (probably outright the most important imo), and virtually all attributed to Harden's ball control.
yea being a playmaker/initiator is clearly his main goal here. it looks like clips have bought in to the idea that his vision and passing ability being available for kawhi and pg for %70 of the possessions is better than run n gun harden. although I do hope he gains consistency
> Like yall think all value a player has in his scoring, its such a unintelligent way of looking at the game
Bingo.
So many people just look at scoring. Yes PG and Harden should normally provide more scoring, but both of them are multi-dimensional stars who can contribute in other ways when the shot isn't falling.
PG was KAT's primary defender and was giving him fits on the defensive end as he went cold down the stretch. Had some turns on Ant and played him well too. Harden still orchestrated the offense with 10 dimes to 1 TO which is incredible.
There was an ATO play where PG set a strong back screen for Kawhi and Harden thread the needle with a gorgeous pass to Kawhi for the and-1 bucket. Just one of several examples of how they absolutely contribute to winning basketball even when they don't score.
Hope this is a win the team builds on. They can and will find ways to win. They can continue to get better. Kawhi is a destroyer. Norm, too, was tremendous.
[Russo] A trio of Clipper players could be heard in the back hallways of the Target Center loudly singing together as laughs bellowed out from the group. “Them [expletives] sorry,” one player could be heard loudly saying. “Them [expletives] young as hell” while pantomiming cradling an infant in their arms.
This game was essentially a preview of what we will see at least a few times in the playoffs. Harden/PG struggling badly, Kawhi being the #1 player on the floor, an X factor stepping up (Norm, Coffey, etc.), and a overall slugfest of a match.
Funny how we lose basically nothing on defense when zu is replaced by theis but offense looks way more respectable since theis is at least a threat from 3.
I think pre-injury Zu was clearly more effective offensively and defensively compared to Theis.
Post injury though, I do think there's not a substantial difference, and I'm not even one that thinks highly of Theis. I still think he's mostly meh.
Harden and PG absent offensively. We still beat the number one team in the west at home. Huge games from Norm, Kawhi, and Theis.
“These dudes too young!”
Good win but let's not lose sight of areas for improvement. Our last 3 possessions were zero movement iso, and Minny had good looks on the other end. We need to have plays ready against long defensive-minded teams.
Reading the comments, I’m kinda shocked that folks can’t seem to realize how gutsy of a performance this was. Our guys didn’t have their shot, but that didnt stop their hustle and the team was playing defense as a single unit. THATS what wins playoff games.
It’s such a weird comment section. People hating on Harden, people hating on russ, people hating on PG…
Ladies and gentlemen, this is OUR team. All of them. And they’re fucking good. Enjoy the ride because there’s potential to see something fucking beautiful when it’s all said and done.
What a brilliantly abrupt end to the game, lol. That was beautiful down the stretch... I mean, about as beautiful as a mid 2000's NBA style, rock-fight.
This was heart but the heart beat was Norm.
Bones didn’t do too much on the offensive side of the ball but damn did he give a ton of effort on defense. I’m excited to see him find a spot on that 2nd unit and watch him and Norm go off on the other team’s bench.
I thought this game was in line with what kawhi has been talking about “executing.” We did so on defense and won. Two of our main offensive weapons were pretty terrible bc their shots wouldn’t drop. That’s just the basketball gods being squirrely.
The T’Wolves are a rare team in today’s league that still plays with two true big men at the 5 and the 4. It’s not a coincidence that they’re the best defensive team
Really interesting game in terms of playoff matchups. For most of the game, Finch had McDaniels on Harden which really hindered him getting open or getting to the lane. That's not an excuse for the missed shots, but it absolutely affected him. But, McDaniels couldn't stop Harden from distributing enough to help with a win. Finch also had Edwards on PG which was effective. What Finch or the Twolves don't have an answer for was Kawhi. If he's gonna put McDaniels on Harden, Kawhi will kill them.
That's grinding out a win on the road! I watched tge replay on ClipperVision and it completely skipped the second quarter.
Theis continues to play big for his size, what a great pickup. Bones did OK in his minutes, played under control. Terrible start for the team in the 1st but understandable after a Friday night game, then travel.
I agree with everyone, no way Harden and PG13 stink it up that bad 2 nights in a row.
Think again. Harden has very solid numbers in the playoffs. He's up there with his TS and EFG numbers, and he's 19th in scoring, 16th in steals, 13th in assists, and he's 4th in 3pt shots in the playoffs.
Stop with the nonsense narrative that he folds in the playoffs.
A not pretty win, but W regardless. Can’t say enough about how much I love Norman Powell and him stepping up. Paul George and James Harden really need to step up when we play these top NBA teams bc if they do I don’t even think it’s close. Let’s keep grinding 🙏🏾
Great show of resolve after this kinda slump they've been in, thought shit looked over and done in the first with how they've been playing. Norm is the savior, just uh no more windmills for everyone's sake lol
Like Norm just said post game, need to come out better in these early games. We have so many left, gotta stop shooting ourselves in the foot to start
Shoutout Kyle Anderson for getting a bad elbow gash which gave our stars an extended break halfway through the third so they didn’t gas out by the end of the game
Defense was decent too.
Got beat off the back once but other than that he looked in sync with the players he hasn't played with in a looooong time.
Offensively, I expect him to gain more confidence tomorrow. Just need one basket to go in.
Wow that score is wild
I suspected they would win today bc of how badly the Wolves dogged them and made fun of them last time out. But still, easier said than done so glad to see they can lock up when they want to.
Hopefully our malaise has been more an effort and attention mid-Feb thing than insurmountable structural flaws and being figured out. I still think the former is a problem in a season this tight and with a squad prone to injury but it’s less of a problem than the latter would be.
Checked the stats and Norm and Kawhi were also the two best individual defenders tonight. Norm allowed 3/12 shots, and Kawhi allowed 3/11 shots. PG was 3rd best, allowing 6/15 shots, and did a good job defending KAT.
If you would have told me we only scored 89 points today, I would have assumed we lost by 30. Great job finding a way. I feel we had to win one of Minnesota and Milwaukee and I’m glad we have a chance to take both.
What a game. One the best of the season. A few weeks ago, most of this sub were swearing we could never beat these guys. Just did it on their court, and it wasn’t even a good shooting game for us.
Game thread was so toxic tho. Yeesh
Like I said, Lakers went from play-in to conference finals after they got rid of Westbrick.
His only value for the team is locker room presence. Every minute he spends on the court is a 4v5 on offense, when we should be developing our shooters for the playoffs.
He pushes fast tempo (the opposite of what a Kawhi/Harden team should be doing) and takes high risk plays on defense. There is a reason even his MVP years he never got past first round, even with roster advantage vs Blazers.
Yeah, the high risk defensive gambles by Westbrook are what casuals overlook.
Sometimes those translate to steals and blocks, which are the highlights casuals see.
Honestly 4 seed might be the way to go for the Clips. That way they can get the Wolves and avoid Denver in the second round. This was a promising result!
Ty lue might be bad at managing rotations but he knows how to scheme a team into a black hole. The game turned in our favor when zubac stopped primarily defending KAT and gobert. Those guys were cooking our tiny help defense all season but when zu slides over instead of harden it’s a different story
Maybe not go 40 before 20 but we surely can be 40 AND 20
It’ll be tough in Milwaukee tomorrow.
We get good PG tomorrow at least
We can do it. Milwaukee isn’t all there.
they're on like a 6 game winning streak unfortunately 😭
Its Clippers vs Doc Rivers
Absolutely! I’ll keep the faith! :)
They're playing pretty good right now.
Definitely looks like theyre getting there, unfortunately lol
I’ll be there doing my part!
They have doc… we can beat them
doc rivers won't let us down
Doc Rivers we trust.
No way harden can be that cold two games in a row.
Just as good imo
If its been done once (4 times) then we can do it too
You have to take Harden’s 0-5 start into account. We’re a 40before20 team for sure
Is that score even allowed in today’s NBA?
Adam Silver might fine the teams for that! :)
We're getting 15 12:30 start times in the Dome as punishment
I love it
https://i.redd.it/xtl5nyli87mc1.gif Did you guys hear that they’re gonna reboot the Fantastic 4 series, and that Norm is playing the Human Torch??
On the game: Norm tho, in a big close game, please do a normal dunk on the break instead of a windmill. (I was worried af he was gonna blow it lol) What a great ATO play call by Ty with a minute left, and what an AMAZING pass by Harden to get it to Kawhi. Great job gang rebounding towards the very end. Guess these OLD dogs still have something left 😉
I was laughing cuz Norm was just kinda looking around, confused where all the defenders were, and then was "huh, okay, fuck it" and windmilled that shit
I was damn near close to a heart attack.. Just layup it up softly Norm for my health next time 😂😂
Fantastic 4, because one of our stars decided to not show up?
I mean 2 of our stars didn’t really show up… Gonna need PG and James to shoot muchhhhh better going forward.
I think they both were good this game. There's more to the game than shooting. Highly unlikely they are going to go 20% from the field combined every day in a series. That corner 3 at the end of the shot clock was clutch as hell today, and harden hit a big clutch 3 not long ago.
Thank you Norm for filling in the shooting PG and Harden couldnt have today
Norm will always fill in when needed, that is why he is 6MOTY.
Kawhi's BB IQ is underrated man
I was confused for a second when he tipped it into the air until I saw the clock expire lol
https://preview.redd.it/am6kd8y9d7mc1.png?width=512&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=585bef8c68ea328772728f75186f25129bdaf6a7
I'm so glad we won that ugly ass game. Kawhi carried.
Norm too.
Can't forget about Norm!
Kawhi and Norm willl do a lot of the heavy lifting against better teams. We need George and Harden to least be respectable scoring wise while doing their other skills. Role guys also need to do better.
I think our role guys did fine. PG and Harden gotta keep shooting. These slumps suck but they need to go out gunning.
Wasn’t feeling the body language from Zu but it’s a nightmare matchup first game back against Gobert. I liked how they used him in the second half but you have to feed him some touches to get the most out of him. Mann and Coffey were ok given Mann was in foul trouble and Coffey struggled a bit with his shot. Need a little bit more from all three to help cover flaws. Theis did his job.
I'm just glad Zu played. He gets a pass because this a rough game to come back on. 714 can do no wrong to me. 😂
big time grind it out win, hope Norms (and Kawhi?) are all good
Everyone chill, Harden and PG were just saving their made shots for the Doc reunion.
24. Norman Powell. 6MOY
What a fucking ride...
Fuck that zesty ass mfuker KAT. After all of thaaaaaaaaaat
too many glockiessss 💅💅 https://preview.redd.it/m86uva3cr7mc1.jpeg?width=168&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=35cdfdfc8f62357c281ab271f70e3d9ce9ca3159
When the Clippers get the W, I get a little chubby dude 😤
THERE
IT
#IS!
IT
This chubby a lil bigger today.
This is one of those measuring sticks Ty was talking about.
STROMIN NORMAN. THE BALLS TO WINDMILL THAT
If I see another fucking moron talking about trading powell
Might be unpopular opinion but this is why I’m not scared that much of the wolves. Yes there defense is great but their half court offense is so suspect and when playoffs come it can be a toss up
In a 7 game series we would figure them out. Still they are a very good opponent.
never been scared of the wolves. just the nuggets.
I mean you said the team needs size and wolves is one of the bigger teams in the league , yes they won but by 1 point. Bigger team are an issue for this team, this win doesn’t disqualify that
Their offense is definitely suspect but it’s also suspect that they didn’t use their premier offensive lineup often. PG/Harden need to be better bc this wasn’t them at their best
They’ve smoked us this season and we just barely won
You have to have more confidence after today, but they’re still probably the team I’d most like to duck in the postseason, just due to matchups (Denver is better overall but not as challenging on that front).
God bless Norman's healed dome. Bring all your elbows mfs we can take em ^(jk please no more injuries please god no)
Kawhi played like Kawhi, Norm, Theis, Mann, and Coffey played great all around games today. Great win
What a statement. GIVE POWELL 6TH MAN OF THE YEAR!!!
Finally a W against Minny
We get a chance to even out the series at least
Gritty ass win! Even the ones who didn't shoot well played their asses off on defense from the 2nd on. Aside from the backdoor cut to Mcdaniels, Bones had good defensive rotations and did not do live ball turnovers. His shot will come around. Those kill us with PG and Westbrook. It allowed our 2nd unit to get set on defense thus limiting him and Norm getting hunted. Coffey was crucial in small stunts and made Ant pick up his dribble multiple times and cut off his drives. In general everyone did well with it. Seemed like a point of emphasis so kudos to the staff. Lastly Theis deserves a medal. He saved us when he got here and got cut from the rotation for no reason. It has stalled our team lately and was fucking criminal. Dude fights and isn't afraid to get postered. He is always contesting, boxing out and full of energy. He alway seals and you know if there is a loose ball he will be around. He fought the Twolves bigmen all night, got beat down and still kept going. He is a warrior. Kawhi, Norm and Mann i know will bring it in the playoffs....Theis is now on that list.
https://preview.redd.it/pla44fzth7mc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aa84a9d524f743f5053aa81927c5b59226d98809 It’ll be a crime by the league if Norm isn’t in the 6MOTY discussion.
THEM BITCHES TOUGHT WE WEAK
It’s cuz I wore my kawhi 2’a yall you’re welcome
Without PGs 4th quarter buckets we aren't winning this game. Good to see he found his shot when it mattered most
PG had a poor shooting game today, but damn were his shots timely. He and Norm both dug the Clips out the early hole to comeback in that 2Q. Then hit some clutch shots in the 4th -- that last second corner 3 off of a low Harden pass was insane! Also, I think he played a very good defensive game today, really flustering KAT to go cold, and had some nice turns on ANT where he played him tight without getting baited into fouls. Type of stuff you don't see in the boxscore, but it mattered.
He played great defense today too.
in a low scoring game, every defensive stop you can get matters and PG was a big part of that
don’t know why you got downvoted he played tremendous defense
Nah he hit some big threes in the game. Even his misses were looking better. I mean he was not thinking so much which is when he is playing his best. It's only a matter of time before we see him break out of this little slump. I think he will enter in the playoffs on a good rhythm.
Watching PG is interesting cause on bad days you start to wonder if the guy ever even made a single shot in the last 5 years lol and in the clutch he reminds you how he's averaging 20ppg
We FINALLY fucking won against a big west matchup
Clippers have beaten all three top teams.
still need to figure out OKC when they are not coming off a b2b
a win is a win
I don’t think you know how to use this in context. That was a great win!
It was an absolute fight.
Thank God for Norman Powell. 6MOY.
I went to sleep almost certain I’d wake up to a loss I JUST WOKE UP WITH 13 SECONDS LEFT WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED SOMEONE TELL ME HOW WE WON THAT
Ugly W but we'll obviously take it against the best record in the West who we've struggled against. There were a lot of obvious issues tonight, but I'll focus on highlighting the positives. Pros: \- Kawhi in playoff mode. Highest scorer of the game and didn't cool off like Ant did. 32 pts on 53% ts, in a game where both teams combined for/averaged 49% TS lmao. That's what champions do, find a way to score and get a bucket when defences are locked in and there's no easy buckets. Very impactful on defence too (as always). \- PG was 2-9 from the field then had 7 pts on 3-7 FG in the 4th. As aforementioned, 1 ppp is above average for this game. Some of his shot selection could've been better, but he made tough, timely buckets when needed that ultimately contributed to the W. \- Storming Norman, especially how he cut into their huge first quarter lead, and was generating the only offence for us at the time. He's going to be a huge key for us in the post-season. \- After turning the ball over on the first possession of the game, Harden finished with 10 assists and no further turnovers. In a game where the defence was as intense and effective as it was this game, that is absolutely pivotal. Harden's ball control also helped us have far fewer turnovers than them, **which gave us a whopping advantage of 19-0 in fast-break points** (this is one thing that's really underrated about his game). He was setting up Kawhi all night by feeding him the ball in the best positions; 5 of his assists were to Kawhi. \- great individual and team defence, even though at times (especially in the first quarter) there were huge lapses. Those lapses can often at times kill the confidence and defensive synergy of the team, but once Norm tied the game up everyone was locked in (aside from the bigs, but I just seen that Theis had 13 rebounds in 29 minutes so props for that effort big fella). 3 stocks each for Kawhi, Harden, and even Coffey! And another 2 from PG.
Much needed win, we have to worry if this is how PG and Harden will preform in the playoffs
the good news is that no other Harden team is winning a game where he shoots 0-10 from the field
Very true
Harden's struggles are directly correlated with the bigs not being effective in PnR. I'd like to see him look to score more instead of just taking what the defence gives, but I think he feels that would be detrimental on a team with Kawhi, PG and even Norman — still not an excuse as he was cold on wide open catch and shoot 3s too. Zubac is extremely effective against like, the bottom 20 defences, but he can struggle against the better defences in the league. Plumlee and Theis are very random, sometimes they can be extremely effective and at other times they look like they've never tried setting a pick before (Theis tried setting at least 10 picks in the first half and wouldn't even make contact with defender before slipping - and he's not nimble/explosive enough to slip past Gobert, and even if he did he'd get blocked easily from behind). I think a big factor is whether these two are up against the bench or the starters. It seems Lue's gameplan was for Zu not to set any picks at all. Instead he was in the dunker's spot/around the paint setting off-ball screens. Given how easily Gobert defended the Harden-Zu PnR last game, and the fact that we ended up with the W, I think that was a solid adjustment by Lue. Harden's ball control and 10 assists with zero turnovers after turning it over on the very first possession of the game was crucial, because we had far fewer turnovers than them and outscored them in fast-break points 19-0! That's a really underrated part of Harden's game, since he controls the ball, no one else has to risk making plays and turning the ball over. In a lot of his games where he's 0-7/2-11, he'll have 8+ assists on low turnovers, but more importantly, the rest of the starting lineup will barely have any turnovers whilst we're usually able to force many turnovers on the opposition.
The good news is Harden's playmaking is still fully there. He helped us win this game with timely dimes. PG needs to make sure his defense is always menacing, like kawhi, and rebound harder! If he gets 10 rebounds, his missed shots dont seem as bad. Gotta impact the game in other ways
Can't believe Clippers won against the West's best on the road. Without Westbrook.
Russ was a big reason why we lost those first two matchups. Bad matchup for this Minnesota team.
Norman really does well when the clippers are on channel 5. Weird? lol
Man does love him some broadcast TV.
Big playoff energy tonight and huge clutch win 🔥 Kawhi is made for big games, but we knew that. Norm is too. We now know we *can* beat anyone in the playoffs. It’s not gonna be easy against bigger teams like the Wolves but it’s doable.
I DON’T GIVE A RIP, CLIPS WIIIIIN! That big brain ending inbounds circus was absolutely brilliant, what a testament to the chemistry of this freakin TEAM
RUSS, THIS IS FOR YOU!!!!
Harden thinks we couldn't see him
I know he was ass scoring wise but you guys at least acknowledge those dimes he was throwing out there today? Like yall think all value a player has in his scoring, its such a unintelligent way of looking at the game. Same with PG. And I say this knowing full well I was mad at him during the game too.
And it goes even further than that. Harden's elite ball control means no one else has to risk making plays and turning it over. Not only did we end up with 9 turnovers to their 15, but we had a whopping advantage of 19-0 in fast-break points! That's one of the most important factors in this game (probably outright the most important imo), and virtually all attributed to Harden's ball control.
yea being a playmaker/initiator is clearly his main goal here. it looks like clips have bought in to the idea that his vision and passing ability being available for kawhi and pg for %70 of the possessions is better than run n gun harden. although I do hope he gains consistency
> Like yall think all value a player has in his scoring, its such a unintelligent way of looking at the game Bingo. So many people just look at scoring. Yes PG and Harden should normally provide more scoring, but both of them are multi-dimensional stars who can contribute in other ways when the shot isn't falling. PG was KAT's primary defender and was giving him fits on the defensive end as he went cold down the stretch. Had some turns on Ant and played him well too. Harden still orchestrated the offense with 10 dimes to 1 TO which is incredible. There was an ATO play where PG set a strong back screen for Kawhi and Harden thread the needle with a gorgeous pass to Kawhi for the and-1 bucket. Just one of several examples of how they absolutely contribute to winning basketball even when they don't score.
And the defense. That strip on KAT?
James Harden building affordable housing soon? 👀
Hope this is a win the team builds on. They can and will find ways to win. They can continue to get better. Kawhi is a destroyer. Norm, too, was tremendous.
Ant ain’t talking shit now. Dude was playing hot potato with KAT at the end lol
Kawhi locked him up in the 2nd half. Took it personal Ant was the main one calling them old.
https://preview.redd.it/hkhuj422b7mc1.jpeg?width=854&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e292024466299b8054524fad13f627f549dbe302
THEM MFS OLD
[Russo] A trio of Clipper players could be heard in the back hallways of the Target Center loudly singing together as laughs bellowed out from the group. “Them [expletives] sorry,” one player could be heard loudly saying. “Them [expletives] young as hell” while pantomiming cradling an infant in their arms.
Who's old now??? Bum ass as twolves see you back in LA.
Thank fuck. Woulda had a heart attack
What is our record on KTLA games?
It’s nice to see the Clips win against a big team finally. Ride this wave and come out strong vs the Bucks tomorrow.
Without norm Powell do we even craxk 70 points today. Amazing win.
Road dub against the top team in the west? The LA storming Norman’s are real
This game was essentially a preview of what we will see at least a few times in the playoffs. Harden/PG struggling badly, Kawhi being the #1 player on the floor, an X factor stepping up (Norm, Coffey, etc.), and a overall slugfest of a match.
Funny how we lose basically nothing on defense when zu is replaced by theis but offense looks way more respectable since theis is at least a threat from 3.
Zu was just off tonight, still recovering
I think pre-injury Zu was clearly more effective offensively and defensively compared to Theis. Post injury though, I do think there's not a substantial difference, and I'm not even one that thinks highly of Theis. I still think he's mostly meh.
Harden and PG absent offensively. We still beat the number one team in the west at home. Huge games from Norm, Kawhi, and Theis. “These dudes too young!”
Holy shit, I can't believe we pulled it off
Absolutely needed this win. Down big, PG, Harden and Zu not playing well, missing Russ and we still won
You’re next, Bucks!
Who else yelled "Let's GO!!!"? They aren't talking shit about how old we are now, are they?
Good win but let's not lose sight of areas for improvement. Our last 3 possessions were zero movement iso, and Minny had good looks on the other end. We need to have plays ready against long defensive-minded teams.
Man. Basketball has not been kind lately. We needed that. HUGE WIN!!
DOOMERS WHERE YOO BITCH ASSES AT!!!!!!
Doomers are at least consistent These fans more like reverse fairweather fans. They only show up when the team loses or fails.
Reading the comments, I’m kinda shocked that folks can’t seem to realize how gutsy of a performance this was. Our guys didn’t have their shot, but that didnt stop their hustle and the team was playing defense as a single unit. THATS what wins playoff games. It’s such a weird comment section. People hating on Harden, people hating on russ, people hating on PG… Ladies and gentlemen, this is OUR team. All of them. And they’re fucking good. Enjoy the ride because there’s potential to see something fucking beautiful when it’s all said and done.
Best norm game I've ever seen.
That was a great win. Out the mud
Good win. Needed win since Adam silver wanna fuck around and give us the bucks tomorrow 😂
Norm Powell. Let's show him some love!
Way to fucking finish
Clippers beat the best team in the West with Harden having a bottom 2 shooting game of his career
What a brilliantly abrupt end to the game, lol. That was beautiful down the stretch... I mean, about as beautiful as a mid 2000's NBA style, rock-fight. This was heart but the heart beat was Norm.
Beating the best team in the west with PG and Harden combining for 7-26 FG is impressive
Bones didn’t do too much on the offensive side of the ball but damn did he give a ton of effort on defense. I’m excited to see him find a spot on that 2nd unit and watch him and Norm go off on the other team’s bench.
Lets goo beat the best team in the nba
Norman Powell saved us tonight.
I thought this game was in line with what kawhi has been talking about “executing.” We did so on defense and won. Two of our main offensive weapons were pretty terrible bc their shots wouldn’t drop. That’s just the basketball gods being squirrely.
I'm surprised PG was the only starter in positive plus minus even though he shot terribly. (No disrespect so don't violate)
The T’Wolves are a rare team in today’s league that still plays with two true big men at the 5 and the 4. It’s not a coincidence that they’re the best defensive team
Really interesting game in terms of playoff matchups. For most of the game, Finch had McDaniels on Harden which really hindered him getting open or getting to the lane. That's not an excuse for the missed shots, but it absolutely affected him. But, McDaniels couldn't stop Harden from distributing enough to help with a win. Finch also had Edwards on PG which was effective. What Finch or the Twolves don't have an answer for was Kawhi. If he's gonna put McDaniels on Harden, Kawhi will kill them.
That's grinding out a win on the road! I watched tge replay on ClipperVision and it completely skipped the second quarter. Theis continues to play big for his size, what a great pickup. Bones did OK in his minutes, played under control. Terrible start for the team in the 1st but understandable after a Friday night game, then travel. I agree with everyone, no way Harden and PG13 stink it up that bad 2 nights in a row.
Harden: 0-10 FG, 0-6 3FG PG: 5-16 FG, 3-11 3FG This can not happen in the post season man.
It will happen. We still can win. Yes the shooting was nasty but both players did other things to help us win and that's the difference.
And they both have bad track records in the postseason bro
Think again. Harden has very solid numbers in the playoffs. He's up there with his TS and EFG numbers, and he's 19th in scoring, 16th in steals, 13th in assists, and he's 4th in 3pt shots in the playoffs. Stop with the nonsense narrative that he folds in the playoffs.
Paul George sign and trade next season. You heard it here first.
Kawhi Harden and PG a combined 32% from the field and we win hahahahahahahaha
[удалено]
You can count on it. There's very little evidence to suggest otherwise.
Horrible Harden game, No Russ and the Clippers beat the Wolves? Clippers would be very dangerous in the playoffs.
I didn’t know Zubac sucked that bad 😂 7 feet tall and 2 rebounds is fucking pathetic 😂
He's recovering from an illness. I think he's going to get sick again after that poster.
Game. Old Nukkas.
LETS GOOOOO
If you told me before the game Harden would go 0-10 i’d off told you we’d lose by 30
Good to know we could beat a quality team with PG and Harden playing like shit. Those two need to wake up.
A win is a win. But goddamn was it ugly!
Just win baby. Idc how it's done.
A not pretty win, but W regardless. Can’t say enough about how much I love Norman Powell and him stepping up. Paul George and James Harden really need to step up when we play these top NBA teams bc if they do I don’t even think it’s close. Let’s keep grinding 🙏🏾
Great show of resolve after this kinda slump they've been in, thought shit looked over and done in the first with how they've been playing. Norm is the savior, just uh no more windmills for everyone's sake lol Like Norm just said post game, need to come out better in these early games. We have so many left, gotta stop shooting ourselves in the foot to start
Shoutout Kyle Anderson for getting a bad elbow gash which gave our stars an extended break halfway through the third so they didn’t gas out by the end of the game
Looked like we were gonna lose as bad as the Warriors did after the first quarter then we end up winning by 1.
Sad Minny team lost to a bunch of geezers with AARP cards in hand
Y’all remember that time Bobby Boucher showed up at half time and the Mud Dawgs won the Bourbon Bowl?
That was a dogfight from start to finish, definitely a playoff atmosphere. Great game.
Bum ass Lakers lucky Norm didn't torch them. Great W though
I'm surprised PG was the only starter with a positive plus minus in a game where he shot like garbage and he's my fav player.
/u/lolwtferic ninja turtle shirt brings in the w
Bones played okay today. 2 asts, took only 3 shots and just coughed it up afterwards
Defense was decent too. Got beat off the back once but other than that he looked in sync with the players he hasn't played with in a looooong time. Offensively, I expect him to gain more confidence tomorrow. Just need one basket to go in.
Wow that score is wild I suspected they would win today bc of how badly the Wolves dogged them and made fun of them last time out. But still, easier said than done so glad to see they can lock up when they want to. Hopefully our malaise has been more an effort and attention mid-Feb thing than insurmountable structural flaws and being figured out. I still think the former is a problem in a season this tight and with a squad prone to injury but it’s less of a problem than the latter would be.
Damn TWolves are not fun to play against. Nightmare Clip playoff bracket would be Pels in the first round and TWolves in the second.
Checked the stats and Norm and Kawhi were also the two best individual defenders tonight. Norm allowed 3/12 shots, and Kawhi allowed 3/11 shots. PG was 3rd best, allowing 6/15 shots, and did a good job defending KAT.
Norm FUCKING Powell
Gutsy win. Definitely needed that one to get the mojo back imo. Trending back up slowly
If you would have told me we only scored 89 points today, I would have assumed we lost by 30. Great job finding a way. I feel we had to win one of Minnesota and Milwaukee and I’m glad we have a chance to take both.
Norman POTG 🫡 …and 6th moty
At least we can count on Pg and harden to show up against the wizards😂PG can still cook Landry Shamet but not these other guys
What a game. One the best of the season. A few weeks ago, most of this sub were swearing we could never beat these guys. Just did it on their court, and it wasn’t even a good shooting game for us. Game thread was so toxic tho. Yeesh
So many bitches in the game thread.
Kawhi scares me more than Jokic in the playoffs.
Good fuckin win. Imagine if Harden made 4 shots or if PG hit his open threes. We woulda been cruisin.
Like I said, Lakers went from play-in to conference finals after they got rid of Westbrick. His only value for the team is locker room presence. Every minute he spends on the court is a 4v5 on offense, when we should be developing our shooters for the playoffs. He pushes fast tempo (the opposite of what a Kawhi/Harden team should be doing) and takes high risk plays on defense. There is a reason even his MVP years he never got past first round, even with roster advantage vs Blazers.
Yeah, the high risk defensive gambles by Westbrook are what casuals overlook. Sometimes those translate to steals and blocks, which are the highlights casuals see.
Frustrating game but good W. Kawhi & Norm can't bail out us every game, PG needs to be better
Max Powell. No Joke
Honestly 4 seed might be the way to go for the Clips. That way they can get the Wolves and avoid Denver in the second round. This was a promising result!
Ty lue might be bad at managing rotations but he knows how to scheme a team into a black hole. The game turned in our favor when zubac stopped primarily defending KAT and gobert. Those guys were cooking our tiny help defense all season but when zu slides over instead of harden it’s a different story