Overview

The shorthanded LA Clippers shocked the Blazers today, as they opted to rest Kawhi Leonard in advance of the back-to-back against Brooklyn and continued to rest Patrick Beverley (calf). The Clippers, without much incentive to win the game, rested Paul George and Lou Williams in the 4th quarter, and so naturally the Clippers lost the game.

… At least, that’s what I was writing before the Clippers’ bench players simply decided not to lose. Once the full bench unit was in, the Blazers seemed poised to pull away, but the Clippers refused to relent and the game went down to the wire, tied 115-115 with a minute left. Damian Lillard tortured JaMychal Green and Patrick Patterson on switches, but the bench squad made some huge buckets. And after Lillard missed two key free throws at the end of the game that could have taken the lead, JaMychal Green extended the lead at the foul line and the Clippers shocked the Blazers, sealing the deal on the W with solid defense. This was a great win for bench confidence and chemistry, and it bodes well for the playoffs and the depth that it requires.

Game Recap

This game was a tale of two halves. In the first half, both teams were incredible offensively and awful defensively. The Clippers shot 60% from the field, 50% from downtown, made 6 more free throws, out-rebounded the Blazers, and were somehow down by 6 points at half, trailing 69-75. The Blazers, led by Damian Lillard, Carmelo Anthony, and the surprising Gary Trent Jr. were even better, shooting 61% from the field, 52% from downtown, and making 4 more threes than the Clippers.

The second half, however, was a totally different story. After the first few minutes saw the Blazers go on a run, Doc called a timeout, reset the defense, and everything changed. Despite some offensive troubles, the Clippers completely flipped their defensive intensity, holding Portland to 34% from the field and 27% from three. In the post-game presser, Doc noted that their 2nd half adjustments included a lot of traps, and that they cleaned up the defense a lot. While the Clippers scored 122, and the Blazers 117, the defense was legitimately good in the second half. But Doc also noted that they got lucky with some key misses by great scorers, namely those two missed free throws by Lillard. To an extent, while the Clippers shocked the Blazers late in the game, Lillard shocked himself (and everyone else) by missing both of those free throws.

Still, this was a fun game with a lot to take away. Portland is definitely better than their record shows, and if they make the 8th seed, they’ll be a problem for the Lakers. Lillard was mostly kept in check, especially in the 2nd half. He finished with only 22 points on 23 shots, shooting only 20% from deep. The Clippers have done a great job guarding Dame all year, and today was no different. But the rest of the Blazers were great. Carmelo Anthony looked fantastic, with 21 points on 8-15 shooting. Gary Trent Jr. was incredible, playing gritty defense while scoring 22 points and shooting a scorching 60% from three. Jusuf Nurkić and Zach Collins, who were both injured during the regular season, both look to be real game-changers, particularly with Nurk’s passing (9 assists, sheesh). CJ McCollum was the Blazers’ star today, having a great day with 29 points on 23 shots including 6 three pointers to go along with 8 assists.

But the Clippers, even at partial health and intensity, are never to be underestimated. This team is so incredibly deep, on both ends of the court, and never, ever quits. Yes, Paul George had a nice night, as usual, with a 21-6-4 line. But the real stars of this game were the role players, who all showed up, as the Clippers had 6 players in double digits. Marcus Morris Sr. beasted with 15 points on 6-13 shooting and 8 rebounds, often looking like a man among boys. Zubac wasn’t quite the monster he was the last two games, but he was solid with 9 points and 12 rebounds, and probably would’ve played more if the Clippers were actually trying to win. Landry Shamet had a big night with 19 points on 12 shots. Reggie Jackson’s 17 were the most points he’s scored as a Clipper. Lou did all of his damage in the 1st half, ending with 12 points on 10 shots. And JaMychal Green continued his stretch of strong three-point shooting while reeling in 8 boards in only 20 minutes. Even Patrick Patterson and Rodney McGruder got in on the fun collectively scoring 15 points on 7 shots between the two of them. With such a balanced scoring effort, it’s hard to pinpoint the MVP of the night, but I’d give it to JaMyke. Even though his stats don’t jump off the page, you could see his impact on the court. He was everywhere, and was crucial to the Clippers 122 to 117 point victory over the Blazers.

The best wins are the unexpected ones, and with this team and its absurd depth, unexpected wins are few and far between. That made it especially gratifying to watch as the Clippers shocked the Blazers Saturday afternoon.

Game Notes

  • No Tanking In This House: In the preview, I wondered whether the Clippers wouldn’t kill themselves to try and win this game, as it’d help the Blazers make the playoffs and ultimately give the Lakers a tougher path to the Western Conference Finals. They did choose today’s game to rest Kawhi, but Doc always puts all of his chips on the easier game (in this case Brooklyn), so that wasn’t necessarily indicative. But sitting Paul George for rookie Terance Mann with 4 minutes left in a 1 point game? I see you Doc. But the Clippers bench wasn’t having any of that. Tanking’s kind of lame, and while it’s useful to test out unique lineups or practice what the bench without Trezz would look like, a win is a LOT more fun.
  • Playoff JaMyke: JaMychal Green has been absolutely lights out in the bubble, and he was crucial today as the Clippers shocked the Blazers. He’d mentioned previously that he wanted to figure out how to get back to his shooting from a year ago, when he was instrumental in the Clippers’ playoff run against the Warriors, particularly in the historic 31-point comeback. A nice change from earlier in the season, he’s now shooting without any hesitation, and it’s so, so smooth. We’re going to need this in the playoffs, where JaMyke gives the Clippers the ability to put out some very versatile lineups. He’s been fantastic at the center position, because he creates far more problems for the opposition with his shooting, than he gives up by being slightly undersized.
  • Zu Alcindor: Aptly named by 213 Hoops contributor Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) after his last two performances, Ivica Zubac has continued to look locked in, aggressive, and fearless on both ends of the court. We’re still trying to figure out if it was just a couple of good games, or if we’ve actually got a different Zubac with us in the bubble. But more importantly, this continued strong play bodes well in terms of both his confidence as a player, but also Doc Rivers’ confidence in the young center.
  • Bubble Mook is Good: Marcus Morris Sr. had yet another solid game. If this is the guy we’ll get in the playoffs, he’ll make teams pay for doubling onto Kawhi or Paul.
  • Reggie and Shamet Bouncing Back: After some so-so performances as a starter in the bubble, Reggie and Shamet both put together nice games. Something to continue watching in these bubble games, as Doc will give both tons of opportunities. We’ll need them in top shape come playoff time.
  • Gary Trent Jr.: Gary got under the skin of Paul George, JaMychal Green, and pretty much every Clipper today, on his way to a fantastic game. It was mildly annoying to watch as a Clipper fan, but it’ll be a lot less annoying when it’s against the Lakers. Looking forward to watching him more.

The Clippers face the Brooklyn Nets next, and figure to have at least Kawhi Leonard back, if not Patrick Beverley as well. But with the Clippers beating the Blazers 122 to 117 today, and the Denver Nuggets doing some of their own coasting to stay in the 3-seed, these games aren’t all that important for the Clippers. If there’s any doubt about Pat’s calf, I could see him sitting again, as well as Kawhi and Paul resting in the 4th quarter. At least, with this team’s depth, we can be sure it’ll be a fun game regardless.

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Erik Olsgaard

Erik Olsgaard

Erik has been a fan of the Clippers since 2004 and a member of the Clippers blogging community since 2009. He took a brief hiatus from writing, but now he's back with 213 Hoops, to provide an elder millennial's perspective on all things Clippers. You can always count on Erik to get to the truth of the matter by marrying up stats with the eye-test.

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