Down Paul George and Nicolas Batum, the LA Clippers needed everything they had to hold off the Orlando Magic, 106-104 to continue their win streak.
Summary
A few days after the Clippers went down to the wire to hold off the Boston Celtics, they needed another strong crunch time performance to keep the Magic at bay.
The Clippers started out struggling to find any kind of offensive rhythm and they found themselves trailing the Magic, 30-23 at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, however, the Clippers managed to battle back and take the lead behind a quick 12-3 run capped off by a Reggie Jackson floater who had nine points in the quarter.
The rest of the second quarter though the Clippers would get some help from an unlikely source, Justice Winslow. Winslow had three straight DNPs before seeing a brief stint against Boston. He was given more playing time on Saturday and he delivered in a big way.
He had four straight points including a dunk and he grabbed a couple rebounds. His production gave the Clippers a needed boost of energy and helped them take a 49-44 lead at halftime.
The third quarter saw the Clippers fall behind as they got caught in another one of their scoring droughts that has plagued them all season. After a Luke Kennard three-pointer put them up 57-50, Orlando answered back on a 9-0 run to take a 59-57 lead.
After a Brandon Boston Jr. three-point shot to stop the run, the Magic would rattle off another six straight points to put them up 65-60. The Clippers had a counter though with Terance Mann who hit a couple of corner three point shots.
The end of the third quarter saw Isaiah Hartenstein and Mo Wagner get tangled up under the basket and Hartenstein made contact with Wagner’s face on his way back up court. After review Hartenstein was assessed a technical foul and the ensuing free-throw cut the Clippers lead to 78-75 heading into the final period.
In the fourth quarter, the Clippers would find themselves trailing 94-93 after a pair of Cole Anthony free-throws. It was then that Jackson took over. After coming out of the game briefly for a quick rest, Jackson came in with 3:45 left in the game and willed the team to victory.
He scored or assisted on all of the Clippers baskets from that point on and none was bigger than his fadeaway jumper with 2.2 seconds left that put the Clippers up 106-104.
On the final play, the Clippers forced Terrence Ross into a difficult shot on a potential game-winner.
Notes
- Justice Winslow came through when needed. The Clippers needed every one of his nine points, five rebounds and two assists. He pushed the ball in transition, he hit the glass and he knocked down timely shots. He had a stretch where he missed a couple shots in a row, but they were all good shots in rhythm. His confidence and willingness to take those shots is what the Clippers need from him. If he can be a consistent threat offensively, that’s big for a team that has needed consistent offensive production.
- Serge Ibaka got his second straight DNP. It isn’t too surprising as Isaiah Hartenstein has clearly been the better option. But it’s just a situation to monitor as the season continues.
- Luke Kennard’s confidence is far beyond what it was last season. He’s very comfortable now doing whatever the team needs him to do from hunting for shots to making plays for others. He had 23 points and shot 7-11 from three-point range. Ty Lue mentioned after the game that he still wants Kennard to do a better job looking for his own shot but he was solid finding that balance between scoring and passing.
