The Clippers led this one from start to finish, beating the Hornets 125-98 in a rout at Staples Center. Read on below for a complete game recap of the Clippers’ win over the Hornets.

Summary

The Clippers started off this one looking sharper than they have in weeks. The ball was moving crisply, the defense was active and connected, and shots were falling. Everyone on the Clippers was hitting, but Paul George was particularly hot, nailing three triples early. Even the short-handed bench (including Patrick Patterson) checking in didn’t derail the Clippers, who continued their strong play on both ends, holding a 16-point lead at the end of one.

The second quarter, miraculously, did not provide a let-down. The Clippers’ play remained positive, as despite turnovers creeping in, a couple fouls on Lou Williams’ threes boosted the lead further. Then, when the starters checked back in, the defense ratcheted up once more, and forced turnovers led to the Clippers, not the Hornets, getting out in transition. Especially fun was a Paul George to Kawhi Leonard alley-oop dunk. Foul trouble to Marcus Morris gave Nic Batum a longer stint, but Nic had a nice revenge sequence with a steal and flush. Clippers’ turnovers, especially by Reggie Jackson, kept the Hornets vaguely attached, but the Clippers continued to do just about everything else well.

The Clippers’ defense finally fell off a bit after the sustained first half excellent, but it still wasn’t porous, and the Clippers’ offense did not take its foot off the gas. Ivica Zubac was particularly active around the basket, showing his worth as a screener and roller. The Hornets’ three point shooting (Miles Bridges hit four alone in the period) kept the game from becoming a complete blowout, but they were never able to get the lead below the high teens. Late in the period, Terance Mann had a brief flurry of buckets around the bucket to maintain the Clippers’ lead, though he also fouled Devonta’ Graham on a three-pointer right before the quarter break. Ultimately, the Clippers matched the Hornets precisely, keeping the lead at 22.

The Hornets battled, but the Clippers simply refused to relent. Every time the Hornets scored, the Clippers would come back and take it to them on the other end. Then, mid-quarter, a flurry of stops and scores pushed the Clippers’ lead to 30, and garbage time commenced. Luke Kennard made a few shots for the Clips while Mann looked like the best player on the court, and the rest of the Clippers’ young guys failed to do much of note. In the end, the Clippers’ won 125-98, in a wire-to-wire victory over the Hornets.

Notes

Balanced Effort: Every rotation player played well in this one. I’d need to think about it, but it might be the first game all season where there was not a single negative from the Clippers’ rotation guys in a game. Sure, due to the nature of the blowout no Clipper had a truly standout line (Paul George was closest with 21 points and 10 assists), but everyone chipped in on both ends of the court. The ball movement was mostly great throughout, and the defense was very good outside of parts of the 3rd quarter. Overall, this was one of the Clippers’ best games of the season, and as mentioned throughout the recap, they outplayed the Hornets (a good team) in this game from start to finish.

A Mann’s World: This wasn’t Terance Mann’s gaudiest statline as a Clipper, but this might have been the best he’s looked in an actual NBA game. His defense (outside of that one foul on Graham) was excellent, and his aggression with the ball in his hands was a wonder to behold. He constantly pushed the pace, a great thing for a Clippers’ team that plays slowly much of the time, and had several gorgeous finishes around the basket. Even though he missed both of his threes, he shot them confidently, and is looking more and more like a guy who will eventually be a real threat from three. The combination of size, strength, and quickness was apparent on both ends of the court, and he looked like the clear best player on the court in garbage time. What a rise for Terance Mann over the past few months.

Attacking the Rim: One of the main issues surrounding the Clippers this season has been their inability to get to the paint – and the free throw line. Well, tonight that was not a problem, as the Clippers worked their way to the rim time and again for paint points, and also earned 23 free throws (making all of them!). The Hornets’ defense isn’t great sure, but it was still very nice to see the Clippers just put their heads down and attack the basket on a night where they shot fine but not great from three.

Limiting Turnovers: The Clippers gave the ball away just nine times, and had zero turnovers in the third quarter. As one of the keys to the game was preventing the Hornets from getting out in transition, the Clippers’ surehandedness with the basketball was one of the primary reasons they held control of this game from start to finish. Outside of a brief stretch in the second quarter, the Clippers made careful passes, didn’t aggressively drive into traffic, and moved the ball well while not going overboard. Nicely done.

Well, that’s about it for this recap of the Clippers’ very nice 125-98 win over the Hornets in a game that was never close. Give your thoughts on the victory below!

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