Facing a potential trap game with a 12:30 p.m. start time the day after Thanksgiving against a Detroit Pistons team with one of the worst records in the NBA, the LA Clippers took care of business at home, 107-96. Keep reading for a full recap of the Clippers’ win over the Pistons!
Summary
The final score was closer than the game actually was as the Clippers at one point had a 29 point lead over the Pistons in the second half.
They came out firing from the beginning led by Eric Bledsoe who had 11 first quarter points including 3-3 from three-point range. Bledsoe has been inconsistent to this point offensively so his quick start was very welcome sign for the Clippers and helped set the tone for the rest of the game.
The Clippers had built up a 30-18 lead after the first quarter and it just grew from there. Terance Mann had a strong second quarter, finishing strong at the rim and knocking down his only three-point attempt of the game. His 11 points were second to Bledsoe’s 13 as the Clippers went into the half leading 64-40.
During the third quarter, the Clippers got a little careless and allowed the Pistons to trim the lead down a little bit, and in the fourth quarter Tyronn Lue even substituted Paul George and Reggie Jackson back into the game to restore some order.
But the Pistons never seriously threatened to make any sort of comeback and the Clippers were able to close out the game with their starters resting on the bench.
This game wasn’t the best shooting performance for George, but it didn’t really matter much as he got strong contributions from the rest of his teammates. Jackson led the team with 21 points and four assists, Mann added 16 points and 10 rebounds and Bledsoe finished with 15 and 3-4 shooting from deep.
Notes
- This was the first time this season that Ty Lue used the two big lineup of Serge Ibaka and Isaiah Hartenstein together. Both players said after the game that they didn’t find out until this morning of that they were going to play in the same lineup. For the most part, the pairing looked good. There was one play in particular when Hartenstein and Ibaka ran a little high-low action that resulted in an Ibaka dunk. It will be interesting to see how often Lue goes with this lineup moving forward. They both definitely have the potential to play together.
- Eric Bledsoe had one of his better offensive games. He came out aggressive from the get-go and scored eight of the Clippers first 10 points. He had 11 altogether in the first quarter and shot 3-3 from deep. This is the type of offensive production the Clippers need on a regular basis from Bledsoe. Maybe not him scoring all of the team’s points to start the game, but just being a consistent threat who can take and make open three-point shots. A productive Bledsoe offensively goes a long way to this team’s potential.
- Ivica Zubac continues to be a force in the middle. He finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds and he also displayed continued improvement in making the correct reads off the short roll. He has quietly become one of the better centers in the league and his consistency on the glass as well as being a rim running threat and passing ability is big part of what makes this team good.