The 4-seed Los Angeles Clippers hosted the 1-seed Utah Jazz at Staples Center Monday for Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinal playoff series. The Clippers put on an impressive performance for their home crowd, led by offensive stylings of Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Marcus Morris. The Championship contenders, having evened the series, now head to Salt Lake City for Game 5.  Your complete Game 4 recap follows below.

GAME SUMMARY

First Half

Much to the surprise of, well, everyone, the Clippers opened Game 4 on a 10-2 run. Opening buckets came from the usual suspects, Leonard, George and Morris.

Defensively, LA was very effective with air-tight man-to-man coverage.   The effort saw 3 deflections and 2 turnovers in the first three minutes of play. Halfway through the quarter the Clippers led by 12. By the end of the frame they had extended that lead to 17, on top 30-13.

In the second quarter, it was much of the same. The Clippers’s defense forced the Jazz to play 1:1 ball and stifled their ball movement.  On offense, the Clippers aggressively attacked the basket, particularly when Gobert was off the floor.   

The Jazz struggled to get stops, could not get anything in the way of transition offense, and settled for bad shots late in the clock. The Clippers’ elite defense was on full display. 

The Clippers led by as many as 29 in the second quarter and despite mini runs by Mitchell – he had 17 in the frame – held a 24 point lead at the break, 68-44.  

Stats at the Half:

Marcus Morris led the way for LA with 22 points on 6 for 8 shooting, including a perfect 5 for 5 from long. He also snatched 3 rebounds. Kawhi Leonard was also solid with 19 points, 2 assists, 3 rebounds and 1 steal. He also had the highlight of the half.

Paul George contributed 15 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds and 1 steal. Nico Batum also made an impact, particularly on the defensive end of the floor, with 3 steals to go along with 2 points; 3 assists and 3 rebounds.

For the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell was best with 21 points; 1 assist; 2 rebounds.  No other Jazz player hit double figures. 

The Clippers shot 50 percent from the field and 50 from three point range. The Jazz only connected on 35 percent from the field, and 33.3 percent from three.

The Clippers also fared better than the Jazz in numerous other categories: 

• Points in the paint (Clippers 14; Jazz 12)
• 2nd chance points (Clippers 8; Jazz 1)
• Fast break points (Clippers 8; Jazz 3)
• Turnovers (Clippers 2; Jazz 7)

Second Half

The Jazz came out of the break with resolve, connected on a few easy baskets and quickly cut the lead to 20.  Quick time out for Ty Lue to steady the ship. 

For most of the remainder of second half the Clippers lacked the defensive energy and intensity they showed in the first half. The Jazz were able to push the pace and get better looks earlier in the clock. Joe Ingles and Bojan Bogdanovic combined for 24 points, and Mitchell added 16. It was not enough to overcome Utah’s poor start, however, and the team struggled to slow LA’s consistently clicking offense. The Jazz never broke the Clippers’ double digit lead.

Clippers win, 118-104.

Final Stats

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George both finished Game 5 with 31 points.  Leonard added 3 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 blocked shot to his stat line while George had 4 assists, 9 rebounds and 1 steal. Marcus Morris was a solid third fiddle with 24 points, 1 assist, 6 rebounds and 1 steal. Nico Batum was also a difference maker, contributing 7 points, 4 assists, 7 rebounds, 3 steals and 1 blocked shot. 

Donovan Mitchell finished with 37 points for the Jazz.

CLIP NOTES

Great Team Effort

Game 5 was a great team effort for the Clippers. Although only three guys hit double figures (Leonard, George, Morris), everyone in the rotation provided meaningful contributions. The squad forced the Jazz to turn the ball over 11 times. They also bagged 10 steals, blocked 7 shots, grabbed 44 rebounds, and logged 19 assists. They shot 46.8 percent from the field on the night, and 40.5 from three.

Of course, although all the Clippers’ players performed well, it was the dynamic duo of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard who sparkled. According to ESPN Stats & Info, George and Leonard are the only the 5th pair since the 1976-77 NBA-ABA merger with 30 points each in back-to-back playoff games. If they continue to play well, at the same time, there is no telling how far this team will go.

Welcome Back to the Offense Mook!

Marcus Morris showed up big this matchup, and the crowd at Staples could not have been happier. Prior to Game 4, Morris was a dismal 1 of 16 from long. During Game 4, Senior got into a rhythm early, going 5 for 5 from three in the first half. Although his offense cooled significantly in the second half, Morris finished the game with a respectable 24 points on 6 for 11 shooting.  Hopefully his newfound stroke will continue as the series goes on.  

Welcome back to the Defense Mr. 94 Feet!

Patrick Beverly saw an uptick in minutes tonight and made the most of his time on the floor.  His back to back blocks on Donovan Mitchell to end the first half were savage. Bev finished the game with a post-season career-high 4 blocks, and his presence on the floor –as both leader and irritant– had impact.

Paul George celebrates his 100th career postseason game.

Game 4 was a milestone for PG-13; his 100th career post-season game.  George made it a good one, playing with purpose on both ends of the floor.  He was particularly successful with his aggressive downhill play and finishing at the rim. Overrated? I think not. He’s just warming up, folks.

Kawhi Knee Concerns?  

Kawhi exited the final quarter with over four minutes left after bumping knees with Joe Ingles.  He was not attended to on the bench, so it is unclear if his sitting out the final minutes was purely precautionary or cause for concern.  Something to watch.

Kawhi Leonard Named to All-Defensive Team

Off topic, but still good news worth mentioning, the NBA announced today that the Klaw has been named to the All-Defensive Second Team. The announcement marks the third consecutive season and the seventh time in Leonard’s career that he has received All-Defensive Honors.  

NEXT UP:

Game 5 between the Clippers and Jazz is set for Wednesday, June 16, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. at Vivint Arena, Utah.  

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Clippers vs. Jazz Game 4 Recap: All Even
michelle uzeta

The Clippers are once again trying to come back from a 2-0 series deficit, and made a good start by winning Game 3. If they can win their next game at home, the pressure will be back on the Jazz heading back to Utah. Keep reading for a full preview of Game 4 between the Clippers and the Jazz.

GAME 4 INFORMATION

Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

When: 7 p.m. PST

How to Watch: TNT

How to Listen: AM 570 L.A. Sports / The Patriot AM 1150

Projected Starting Lineups:

L.A. Clippers: Reggie Jackson – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Marcus Morris Sr. – Nicolas Batum

Utah Jazz: Donovan Mitchell – Joe Ingles – Bojan Bogdanović – Royce O’Neale – Rudy Gobert

Injury Report:

L.A. Clippers: Serge Ibaka – OUT (Back Surgery) 

Utah Jazz: Mike Conley – QUESTIONABLE (Right Hamstring Strain)

THE BIG PICTURE

“Take Note”, Utah, the Clippers aren’t dead yet.

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George combined for 65 points to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a crucial 132-106 Game 3 win over the Utah Jazz Saturday.  Although the Clippers still trail Utah in the Western Conference playoff semifinals 2 games to 1, the unsinkable and scrappy squad will make every effort to even the series at Staples Center Monday night. 

GAME NOTES

Small Ball Success

Clippers’ head coach Tyronn Lue returned to a small starting lineup in Game 3, replacing Ivica Zubac with Nicolas Batum. Using a five-out lineup without a traditional center forced Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert to defend shooters on the perimeter and allowed the Clippers room to attack the rim without worrying about the “Stifle Tower” being camped out under the basket. The strategy worked; the Clippers outscored the Jazz in the paint 44-32, snatched 10 offensive rebounds, and logged 13 second-chance points. More than that, the Jazz’s hallmark half-court defense seemed discombobulated. There were visible communication and rotation errors that allowed the Clippers to get good looks and score with ease, particularly off small-small pick and rolls.  Although Utah will likely correct some of the defensive errors made on Saturday, expect the Clippers’ small-ball sets to continue to diminish Gobert’s defensive impact and create difficulty for the Jazz defenders. 

Offense Must Continue to Flow

The Clippers offense showed much improvement in Game 3 after meh performances in Games 1 and 2.  LA scored 132 points in 93 possessions, an impressive 141 offensive rating. The team also boasted a 56/52/82 shooting split and 21 assists on the night. Four players scored in double figures: Leonard (34), George (31), Batum (17) and Reggie “Action” Jackson (17).  

In order to extend and win this semifinal series, the Clippers’ offense must perform at a high level from first tip through final buzzer. Leonard and George always find a way to get their numbers, but neither has had a truly exceptional full-game performance to date in this series.  

They. Are. Both. Due.

Role players, with the exception of Jackson, have largely under-performed in the playoffs. To play at “Championship contender” level, at least two other guys besides the dynamic duo need to step up offensively with double-digit contributions. It would be great if regular season third-scoring option Marcus Morris would get hot, but he has been wildly inconsistent as of late. Senior’s field goal and three-point shooting percentages have dropped off significantly from the regular season (47.3/47.3) to the playoffs (39.4/33.3). The Clippers have many other options, as they do have a deep bench, but depth does not mean a damn thing if everyone on the roster is off at the same time.

Morris has gotten the looks, the shots just have not been falling. Game 4 may be the game to break his slump. If not, the Clippers need above-average performances from Batum, Kennard, Mann, and/or Beverley to stay in contention.

Defensive Effort

Game 3 also brought an improved defensive effort from the Clippers. LA’s defenders were over-helping and closing out well on shooters throughout the game with very few lapses in coverage. Perimeter defenders double-teamed Mitchell early on in the clock and far from the basket, making it difficult for him to turn corners and play downhill.  Mitchell saw many different looks from many different bodies during Game 3, and although Spida still logged 30 points in the match-up, the Jazz’s overall efficiency was compromised. The Clippers’ intensity was such that Utah’s offense was altered. The ball was not moving as usual and they often looked immobilized and/or confused. As a result, the Jazz finished the game with more turnovers (16) than assists (15). The Clippers need a similarly elite defensive effort to take Game 4.   

Jazz Injuries

Injuries may play a role in Game 4 and beyond. Jazz hot shot Mitchell re-injured his right ankle midway through the fourth quarter of Game 3, causing him to make an early exit. In post-game interviews Mitchell insisted to media that he was fine and would be ready for Game 4, but the extent to which his nagging ankle issues will impact his performance moving forward remains unknown. Remember, this is the same ankle that caused Mitchell to miss the last 15 games of the regular season and Game 1 of Utah’s first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies. 

The Jazz is already without Mike Conley, who has missed all three games of this series with a hamstring strain. Conley has been upgraded to “questionable” for Game 4. 

PREDICTION: LA Takes Game 4

The Clippers appear to have figured out their defense and rotations, and as mentioned throughout the preview, Game 4 should just be a chance to further straighten things out against the Jazz. So long as they get decent production from their superstars and meaningful contributions from a handful of role players, they should have no issue protecting home court and evening the series.

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GAME 4 GAME THREAD: That about does it for this preview of Game 4 between the Clippers and Jazz, but the comment section below will serve as the Game 4 game thread. Sign up for a free account and join the always insightful and sometimes snarky conversation!

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Clippers vs. Jazz Game 4 Preview: Evening the Series
michelle uzeta

It’s officially that time of the season people. That time of year where the pundits and talking heads get their takes out and pontificate on if teams are “unraveling.” It was just a week ago that Stephen A. Smith was saying the Clippers might be better than the Lakers.

Now they are a mess?

Yes, three losses in a row is no bueno. Especially losing to the Kings. Yes, this team hasn’t been playing to the best of their abilities. Yes, they need to figure out rotations (ahem, PLAY ZU MORE) and fit in the new guys. Yes, the Trezz-Lou defensive conundrum still exists. There are reasons to be concerned. 

Unraveling though? Come on.

I feel like a broken record in repeating this adage. The Clippers have been without their second best player in Paul George and their rock defensively and starting point guard Patrick Beverley. Remember the last time they played in a game together? It was over three weeks ago against a stout Miami Heat team. They won, and it was their fifth win in six games. 

Since then, yes LA has struggled. But what if another team didn’t have a perennial all-star and their starting point guard out there? Would they still be a top-three seed in the tougher conference? These two have missed a combined 38 games this season. Unraveling? No. Missing crucial pieces who are taking their time in getting (hopefully) 100% healthy for the long playoff push. Yes. 

So get the takes out now. They are abounding on Twitter and on TV and hop, skipping and jumping into the hearts of our enemies with warmth. Clippers bashing is in vogue right now. Beat up on the hurt underachievers! Yay! Just know Clipper Nation is taking stock, saving @’s and remembering what was said. We’re gonna stay back here, watch the team get healthy for the late spring and early summer and we’ll see some of y’all here real soon. Let’s not forget who’s on our team (including coaching staff), what they’ve done in the past and what this team is at full-strength. It’s almost feasting hours.

Let’s take a look at where NBA media members rank the Clippers heading into week 19. 

NBA.com

This week: 8, Last week: 7

Notes: “

We continue to wait for the the Clippers to put it together. Both Patrick Beverley (groin) and Paul George (hamstring) practiced last week, but neither played against the Kings on Saturday. Reggie Jackson started in his first game with his new team, the Clippers went scoreless on their first seven possessions, went scoreless again on nine straight possessions after they took a two-point lead with six minutes left, and finished with less than a point per possession for just the second time in their last 33 games. It wasn’t the first time this month that they’ve struggled offensively; They’ve lost four of their last five, scoring a paltry 104.1 points per 100 possessions in the four losses.

George and Beverley should be back this week, and the Clippers’ game against the Nuggets on Friday is the start of their toughest stretch of their post-break schedule, five straight games (four within the Western Conference) against teams no worse than the 35-22 Thunder. The Clips have played the fewest games (they’re 7-6) within the top seven teams in the West, and they’ll play four of their remaining nine within those 10 days.”

ESPN

This week: 6, Last week: 6

Notes: “Uh, Clippers? Y’all good? Losing three straight games isn’t the biggest deal in the world, but for the third to be a home loss to the Kings is an eyebrow raiser. Again: Health is going to be their top priority down the stretch, but the addition of Reggie Jackson jumbled the chemistry equation that much more. The Clippers have as much talent as anyone, but the question is whether they can maximize it — or at the very least, just have it all available.”

Sports Illustrated

This week: 6

Notes: “The Clippers continue to have arguably the most talented roster in the West, but it’s hard to trust a team with such bouts of inconsistency. This isn’t akin to Kawhi Leonard’s year with Toronto in 2018-19. The Raptors remained one of the league’s best teams even when Leonard sat. The Clippers, meanwhile, can’t find a rhythm even with Leonard in the lineup. Los Angeles hasn’t won more than four straight games since November. It remains questionable whether it can rip off 16 victories in April through June.”

Yahoo Sports

This week: 8

Notes: “The Clippers lost two of their final three games before the All-Star break and dropped a winnable home game to the Kings in LA on Saturday afternoon. Kawhi Leonard scored a team-high 31 points vs. Sacramento but showed rare signs of outward frustration towards his teammates late in the fourth quarter.”

CBS Sports

This week: 9, Last week: 9

Notes: “Following a tough double-overtime loss to the Celtics before the break, the Clippers turned in an uninspired effort in a home loss to the Kings. Kawhi Leonard was fantastic, but occasionally looked frustrated with his teammates during the loss. The chemistry hasn’t been great with the Clippers all season, something they’ll need to remedy if they’re going to be the title contender they look like on paper.”

The Athletic

This week: 7, Last week: 7

Notes: “The LA Clippers have only thrown this lineup out there for three minutes since acquiring Marcus Morris at the trade deadline. So we don’t have any real data even worth mentioning here. However, I think this lineup will be meaningful for the Clippers in the postseason, whenever Doc Rivers decides to deploy it. The reason I like this lineup is that it gives them the chance to remain big while playing small and versatile. The Clippers still have their pick-and-roll duo with Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell on the floor. They have their two stars with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to isolate when plays break down. And then Marcus Morris will be there to step up on both ends of the floor. We may see this foursome with Ivica Zubac instead of Harrell for defensive purposes, but I think this lineup has a lot of potential as an offensive juggernaut.

Why the ranking? Just the one game from the Clippers this week and they were pretty mediocre at home during an early Saturday start against Sacramento. It took them too long to get going offensively. The reason they didn’t drop in the rankings, though, is Dallas didn’t do quite enough to move above them, the Miami Heat continue this odd stretch of not looking great, the Utah Jazz had two terrible showings at home and Philadelphia was a mess against Milwaukee. The Clippers benefit from others failing this week.”

Power Rankings Watch: How Are The Clippers Faring in Week 19?
Chris Murch

I had my own version of an All-Star break this weekend, as I went to Mexico for my brothers bachelor party. I am unwell. I learned about Mezcal (like Tequila except better hangovers). When you have been drinking for about three days straight, no matter how well your liver filters out the booze or what you are drinking, you ain’t gonna feel 100%. Today has been slightly brutal.

But as we all know, ball don’t sleep. I ended up watching the All-Star game via Reddit Streams on choppy Mexican wifi while passing around Mezcal and talking mad ish with the mostly Laker fans assembled from my brothers friend group. Twas a fun time. Especially when you factor in the fact that Kawhi Leonard won the games MVP and shot the absolute lights out.

In listening to Bill Simmons’ podcast the day after, he joked that Clipper fans should be mad that we see Kawhi go all out in what is realistically an exhibition game, when he load manages real games. He also said he was “out” on Landry Shamet as a player of impact for the Clippers. The disrespect is real. Despite being a longtime season ticket holder, Bill seems to get this team wrong a lot. Especially this year.

What Landry has brought to the table the past month and a half has been high level shooting, impressive ball handling and a lack of fear. You can make the argument that while Paul George (then Patrick Beverley) was out, he was the second or third best player on the floor for the Clippers on any given night. At 22. And undersized. And without a super “defined” position. All Landry does is come in, shoot the lights out, play D to the best of his efforts, handle the ball surprisingly well and not make many mistakes. If you are “out” on that every night, then I don’t know what to tell ya Bill. 

Secondly, no one in #Clippernation is mad at seeing success for any of its players. Load management is a necessary tool for Kawhi and his long-term knee health. I’m straight with him taking as much time he needs during the regular season to perform in May and June. If anything, tonight showed that when the lights are at it’s brightest and the competition is at its highest, Kawhi comes to ball. Expect more of that this summer, people.

Let’s take a look at where the NBA media places the Clippers in their weekly power rankings.

NBA.com

This week: 7, Last week: 5

Notes: “More concerning than the Clippers going 1-3 (and allowing almost 120 points per 100 possessions in the three losses) on their trip before the All-Star break is that the trip ended with Paul George in the TD Garden locker room, dealing with more pain in his left hamstring. There are still eight weeks left in the regular season and the Clips don’t have a back-to-back until mid-March, but it remains unclear if they’ll get an extended stretch with a healthy core between now and April 18.

The Clippers rank sixth defensively overall and have had the league’s best defense in games against the league’s 13 best offenses. But they couldn’t get the stops they needed down the stretch in Boston on Thursday and rank 28th in clutch defense, having allowed their opponents to score 117 points per 100 possessions with the score within five points in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter or OT.

Marcus Morris has taken 32 shots with the Clippers, and 26 of those 32 have come from outside the paint. The most confounding of those shots was his mid-range pull-up over an Al Horford contest when the Clippers came out of a timeout late in a close game and had Morris iso against a good defender with George and Kawhi Leonard on the floor and no movement away from the ball. Morris has scored 0.96 points per possession on isolations, a mark which ranks 27th among 71 players with at least 50 isolation possessions this season.”

ESPN

This week: 6, Last week: 6

Notes: “The Clippers have played 2,655 minutes this season. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have played just 572 of those together. And now Paul George has reinjured his troublesome hamstring, which could cause him to miss a little more time. The Clippers’ primary goal down the stretch is simple: Get the top eight rotation players as healthy and as jelled as possible. Because in those 572 minutes that Leonard and George have shared, the Clippers are a plus-9.6 points per 100 possessions.”

Bleacher Report

This week: 8, Last week: 6

Notes: “Deadline acquisition Marcus Morris Sr. closed at center in Tuesday’s 110-103 loss to the Sixers, and he wasted no time bringing some edge to the Clippers. He got into a dustup with Joel Embiid, which, given their history, was to be expected. Morris will have to do more than scrap with his long list of enemies to make a real difference in Los Angeles. Job No. 1 should be keeping the ball moving (long a challenge for him) and embracing a more limited role than he played with the Knicks.

If the hamstring strain that forced Paul George out of Thursday’s game against the Celtics lingers, Morris could get a healthy share of shots. But when L.A. is fully healthy, he’ll have to make the most of fewer looks while defending across several positions. The Clips lost three of their last four games prior to the All-Star break and have fallen a game behind Denver for the West’s second seed.”

CBS Sports

This week: 9, Last week: 6

Notes: “The Clippers lost road games to the 76ers and Celtics this week, and they still seem far from the finished product that many expect to contend for a title this season. Paul George struggled mightily from the field against the Sixers, going 3 for 15, then re-aggravated his hamstring injury against the Celtics, missing the final two quarters and overtime periods. The Clippers surely think they’ll be fine once they have a full roster, but it would be nice to see it for more than a handful of games before the playoffs start.”

NBC Sports

This week: 5

Notes: “Congratulations to Kawhi Leonard on winning the first Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP Award. Leonard was surprisingly open in talking about his relationship with Kobe and how much winning the award meant to him. Now, it’s back to trying to build some chemistry with the Clippers, where Paul George is sidelined again because of injury.”

Power Rankings Watch: How Are The Clippers Faring In Week 18?
Chris Murch

What a weird weekend. First, on Friday, I ordered a White Claw at perhaps the diviest dive bar I’ve ever been in and got a very odd look from the 50+ year old Irish bartender. It was like I entered his house and pissed on his rug a la ‘The Big Lewbowski’. I don’t think I blame him. I was also on a date. The date went well. She didn’t bat an eye at the Claw. Wonder if that’s a good thing or a bad thing…

The next night I watched as the Clippers ate dirt for 48 minutes against a Minnesota Timberwolves team without new addition D’Angelo Russell. They hit 26 3’s, a franchise record, and showed just how bad the Clippers perimeter defense can be sometimes. With guys like Paul George and Kawhi Leonard at the top, there’s no way teams should shoot the way they do against LA. It happens too frequently. Granted, the lack of Moe Harkless didn’t help, as did not having Patrick Beverley. Even Marcus Morris could have helped. One of those games you forget about even before it ends and move on.

The Clippers had a chance to redeem themselves quickly with a road back-to-back against an absolute abomination of a basketball team in the Cleveland Cavaliers, who will only get worse with the addition of ball-stopping big Andre Drummond. This game was over after about five minutes of play, as Lou finally looked good in a start, PG smoked the Cavs everywhere, Zubac controlled the pace inside, and everyone contributed. Morris played decently, adding 10 points. While he was only 5-for-12 from the field, including 0-of-4 from 3, Mook was active defensively early, hit his shots in the mid-range, and spread the floor out exceptionally. We obviously have to see how he’ll fit offensively with Kawhi in the lineup, but it was a solid first showing.

The Clips have a stunted week with the All-Star break coming on Friday. However, looking ahead to this break will be dangerous for them as they face the Sixers and Celtics on the road. These are two games that might not mean a lot standings wise, but mean a lot in terms of importance for this team in terms of gelling as a unit and beating top Eastern Conference talent. The Clips already took down the Celtics in their only OT game of the season, but they always have problems with Joel Embiid’s height. Hopefully they can take care of some business and go into the break with nearly 40 wins.

Let’s see where NBA media members rank the Clippers after 16 weeks!

NBA.com

This week: 5, Last week: 3

Notes: “Maurice Harkless wasn’t bad for the Clippers. He shot 37% from 3-point range and ranked second on the team with 3.7 deflections per 36 minutes. But Marcus Morris is an obvious upgrade offensively, while giving the Clippers some additional size and strength on both ends of the floor. The Clippers have been about average offensively in (limited) minutes with Lou Williams, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Montrezl Harrell on the floor together, and Morris can make that group more potent.

The question is how much we’ll see of the Clippers at full strength and at full focus (see their 27-point loss in Minnesota on Saturday) between now and April 15. The good news in that regard is that they have only three back-to-backs left on their schedule. Patrick Beverley has missed the last two games with a groin injury, but rest time is coming and the Clippers will be the last team to start its post-break schedule (getting Thursday and Friday off next week).

They went 0-2 against the Bucks, but the Clips are 6-0 against the other five Eastern Conference teams with winning records, with two marquee matchups on TNT (Tuesday and Thursday) this week.”

ESPN

This week: 6, Last week: 4

Notes: “Never mind their bizarre loss to the Wolves, as the Clippers watched Minnesota drill 26 3-pointers on 44 attempts. The Clippers won the week with their deadline deal for Marcus Morris Sr. At full strength, the Clips have the most impressive top-eight rotation in the league, and Morris adds a new mismatch dimension and lineup option for Doc Rivers to explore. And the biggest win of the Morris deal for the Clips: The Lakers didn’t get him.”

The Athletic

This week: 6, Last week: 5

Notes: “The Marcus Morris addition is pretty huge. I wrote about it during deadline day in trying to quickly assess everything it could mean for the Clippers in their quest for their first title. The more I think about Morris on this team, the more I think we’re going to see the Clippers make sure Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are rested for the playoff run. Morris helps with this far more than Maurice Harkless was able to. Morris proved during his brief New York Knicks run that he can handle the scoring load. Now, granted, those Knicks teams barely won anything, but LA isn’t asking Morris to carry the Knicks when Leonard or George sit out. They’re asking him to fill in as a defender and a secondary scorer next to the other star. Maybe he’s even still the third or fourth scoring option behind Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell.

If you were frustrated by load or injury management before, I think the Clippers have even more freedom to do it now. That’s not a knock on Harkless either. It’s just where Morris allows them to diversify things a bit more. The Clippers probably still need another big man option. I’m not sure who becomes available in the buyout market here. The Clippers received a little good news with Darren Collison opting to stay retired. It means he won’t go to the Lakers. But the Clippers still need to figure out how to eventually get everybody on the floor and protect the rim in the process. If you’re wondering why the Clippers dropped this week, you can’t get blitzed by Minnesota when it hasn’t won a home game with its best player since Nov. 13.”

Bleacher Report

This week: 6, Last week: 5

Notes: ” If Marcus Morris Sr. comes close to replicating the 43.9 percent he shot from deep with the Knicks (on a career-high 6.1 attempts per game), he’ll make the Clippers more dangerous to the select few teams who pose a threat to them in the playoffs. You can never have too many sturdy, switchable wing defenders. The Clippers just proved that by prioritizing Morris over an upgrade at center. Then again, Morris could close some games at the 5—definitely against Houston, but possibly against others.

The Clips eked out a 108-105 win against San Antonio to start the week and then shredded the Heat’s zone defense in a 128-111 win on Wednesday. That first victory got them to 35-15, the best 50-game mark in franchise history. Friday’s horrendous 142-115 loss to a Wolves team playing without D’Angelo Russell was one of the bigger upsets of the season, and it saw a checked-out Los Angeles team miscommunicate repeatedly on defense.

Confirming the theory that L.A. doesn’t get up for every opponent, the Clips are 10-3 in their last 13 games, with those losses coming against Atlanta, Sacramento and Minnesota.

Sports Illustrated

This week: 4

Notes: “The Clippers stood as an upper-tier Finals contender before Thursday’s deadline, sporting a roster rich with depth. But their closing five still felt a body short. Marcus Morris should solve this problem. He adds another long, switchable body on the wing alongside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and he adds a reliable three-point stroke. Los Angeles is one of the deadline’s biggest winners.”

CBS Sports

This week: 6, Last week: 4

Notes: “The Clippers were having a great week, beating the Heat on Wednesday before acquiring Marcus Morris before the trade deadline. Then they turned around and suffered their most embarrassing loss of the season, a 27-point drubbing at the hands of a depleted Minnesota team that hadn’t won a game in a nearly a month. Luckily for the Clippers, they played Cleveland on Sunday and won by 1,000 points, even without Kawhi Leonard. Morris had 10 points and four rebounds in 22 minutes in his Clipper debut.”

Power Rankings Watch: How Are The Clippers Faring in Week 17
Chris Murch