The LA Clippers began a four game home stretch to end the regular season with a 119-100 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Game Summary
In a game with massive playoff implications on the line, the Clippers came out and delivered. Heading into the game, the Pelicans trailed the Clippers for the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoff picture, and a Pelicans win would really put some pressure on the Clippers heading into the final three games of the season.
But the Clippers came out like they knew what was at stake. They started out the game with some hot three-point shooting led by Paul George. George helped set the tone early by hitting his first three, three-point shots late in the first quarter to give the Clippers an early 37-31 lead after the first quarter.
The second quarter was much of the same, the Clippers hot shooting from distance continued while they began to clamp up defensively on the Pelicans. They spent the second quarter increasing their lead to double-digits and ended up taking a 66-44 lead at halftime.
In the second half, the Pelicans never made a serious run and the Clippers ultimately cruised to victory. Despite the initial hot start by George, he and Reggie Jackson didn’t shoot particularly well but it didn’t even matter. The rest of the team was on point and Marcus Morris had one of his best games of the season with 22 points on 8-14 shooting and 4-6 from three-point range.
The Clippers had seven players score in double figures and they got strong bench play from the unit of Terance Mann, Robert Covington, Luke Kennard and Isaiah Hartenstein.
Notes
- Norman Powell continues to make progress on a possible return. He was out on the court before the game participating in shooting drills but there is still no concrete word as to when exactly he might return to the lineup. The Clippers have three games remaining before the playoffs and the hope is that he might be able to squeeze in a return sometime this coming week.
