Since our preview, Kawhi Leonard and Marcus Morris, Sr. went from “questionable” to available and Rondo, despite his presence at the game, was in street clothes. Terance Mann came out ready to impress his childhood idol, though, and likely made a pretty good introduction. Check out the game recap of the Clippers’ win over the Sixers below.
Summary
The Sixers came out hot, going 12/19 from the field early, earning them a ten point lead early in the first quarter. The Clippers fought back, however, by getting offensive fouls and taking advantage of the Sixers’ five first-quarter turnovers. Led by eight and seven points from Morris and Kawhi respectively, the Clippers were only down by one at the end of the first frame.
In the second quarter, the Clippers started to get going offensively, led again by Kawhi, who finished the half with 19 points, leading all scorers. Paul George added 12 and Terance Mann was perfect from the field (6/6) with 13 points. The Sixers were led by Tobias Harris (17), who was stellar for them all night. Nonetheless, the Clippers went into halftime with a five point lead, 65-60.
The third quarter was ugly — mostly because the refs decided to start calling the game extremely tight. In the third quarter alone, there were 19 personal fouls called. Lucky for the Clippers, Ben Simmons put himself in foul trouble, and Leonard, George, and Morris took advantage. By the end of the 45 minute quarter (that’s a long time), the Clippers were up 13, 97-84.
The fourth quarter was less ugly but equally ridiculous. Dwight Howard was tossed just two minutes into the quarter, Tobias bought a technical of his own, and Ben Simmons fouled out. But the Sixers kept themselves reasonably in the game for a while thanks to Harris, who ended the game with 29 points on 13/19 shooting. Ultimately, the Clippers were about to outlast the Sixers by the steady play of Mann, who was incredible tonight.
Notes
Terance Mann ups season-high: Mann finished with 23 points on 10/12 shooting (2/2 from three). He was attacking the rim and finishing strong through contact throughout the game, showcasing his athleticism and ability to score around the rim.
Rajon Rondo update: Rondo watched the game while sitting next to the assistant coaches, so he could get a feel for what the Clippers run offensively. After the game, Kawhi said that he expects Rondo to bring a veteran mentality and be an additional playmaker.
Clippers three-point shooting: After a few shaky shooting games post-ASG, the Clippers are getting back to their efficient ways. Although it didn’t feel like the Clippers won the game from the behind the arc, they shot 42.3% from deep and largely took good shots. To me, a 42%, 11/26, three point shooting night is comforting because it shows that the Clippers can win a game without going crazy from three, especially against a great defensive team like the Sixers.
That about does it for this recap of the Clippers’ win over the Sixers. Stay tuned for Lucas’ player grades and a new episode of TLTJTP tomorrow!
