The Clippers didn’t play perfectly, but strong defense and role player performances were more than enough to handle a weakened Raptors squad. Keep reading for a full recap of the Clippers’ 115-96 win over the Raptors.
Summary
The Clippers began the game looking mostly sharp, with Paul George being the lone starter to get off to a bit of a slow start. Kawhi Leonard was aggressive attacking the rim, Marcus Morris made all of his jumpers, Ivica Zubac had a block, nice offensive rebound, and dunk, and Pat Beverley filled the gaps. Their defense was good too, helped by an anemic Raptors’ offense missing its best players. However, as the bench trickled, in the play on both sides faded a bit, with the Clippers holding an eight-point lead heading into the second period.
The second quarter continued much as the way the first ended, with lots of sloppy play on both sides. Despite some of the Raptors’ own flaws, the Clippers were unable to get an edge due to turnovers and missed shots. However, Rajon Rondo then took over, hitting multiple threes and finding Ivica Zubac for an easy dunk with a gorgeous pass, helping push the lead to double digits. Terance Mann came in for Paul George, who had multiple fouls, and added his own energy and defense to the mix, driving the lead to 17. Unfortunately, as they have so many times this year, the Clippers let go of the rope at the end of the quarter, and a flurry of turnovers and Raptors’ buckets brought the lead back down to eight – right where it had been after the first quarter.
Both teams started off the quarter with more offense than they’d shown earlier, but that clip almost immediately dried up. Paul George failed to break out of his poor play, missing open shots and committing some truly awful turnovers. Fortunately, the defense was as good as the offense was poor, and the Raptors were mostly unable to score for much of the quarter. This defensive surge was powered largely by Ivica Zubac, and the big guy had some fun on offense too with a couple big dunks and a beautiful post move. Soon, the Clippers were once again up 17, and while that slipped to 14 going into the final period, the Clippers still looked mostly in control.
Despite more lackadaisical execution in the halfcourt on offense, the Clippers’ defense continued to keep them ahead of the Raptors. After a poor Cousins effort in the first half, Ty Lue went small, and was rewarded for his efforts with stout defense (especially by Mann and Nic Batum) and excellent gang rebounding. A couple Mann dunks kept the Clippers afloat until Zu returned, at which point the big man’s play put the game on ice. The last five minutes or so were garbage time, notable only for the NBA debut of Clippers’ rookie Jay Scrubb!
Notes
Zu Dominates After Winning Starting Role: Ivica Zubac has been very good most of the year, but tonight was absolutely one of his best performances of the season. Zu scored 14 points on 8-12 shooting, collected 10 rebounds, and dished three assists in his 30 minues. More importantly, he was lights out defensively, continuously snuffing out Raptors’ forays into the paint and deterring shots from even going up at all. Ty Lue said before the game that Zu will continue to start even after Serge Ibaka returns. It’s the right call, and Zu showed exactly why tonight.
Turnovers Rear Again: The Clippers had 16 turnovers tonight, with 6 of them coming from Paul George. That number is just way too high, and was the biggest reason (outside of some cold shooting from George, Beverley, and Jackson) that the Raptors hung around until the late 3rd quarter. The Clippers need to be much, much more carful with the ball – better teams than the tanking Raptors will punish them brutally for these unforced errors in the playoffs.
Mann Excels: If Zu showcased why he’s earned a starting role, Terance Mann made the case to get rotation minutes in the playoffs. He poured in 20 points on 7-7 shooting, and made all five of his free throws. More importantly, the zip and energy he provides the Clippers in terms of getting to and finishing at the basket just can’t be duplicated elsewhere on the roster. Reggie Jackson might be a cleaner fit as the 9th man due to his shooting, but I think Mann’s unique skillset makes him a higher upside play in the postseason when push comes to shove.
Kawhi and Pat Amp Up: I wrote before the game about Pat Beverley and Kawhi’s need to ramp up before the playoffs, and both answered the call today. Kawhi Leonard had his finest game since he returned from injury, looking in complete control throughout the contest, while Beverley got his starting job back and played 21 minutes, a large increase on his previous high in recent games. Hopefully the last three games will allow further tuning up for both Clippers’ starters.
That about does it for this recap of the Clippers’ win over the Raptors. Stay tuned for an episode of TLTJTP dropping later tonight!
