The LA Clippers’ played the Thunder even for the first half of the game, but they let the home team build a lead in the third quarter and could not forge a comeback. Read more about it below and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Summary

The game was tight through the first half. Neither team led by more than eight, there were ten lead changes, and four ties. Ultimately, the Thunder took a two point lead into the break. Although the Clippers shot 52% from the field, only Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell were efficient as individuals (6/7 and 5/7 respectively) in the first half. Paul George struggled from the field all night, finishing 6/16 from the field and 1/6 from three.

As with the Clippers-Timberwolves game, the Clippers struggled in the third quarter. Specifically, they gave up a 13-0 run to the quarter, letting the Thunders’ lead grow to 17, which ultimately decided the game. Before garbage time, the Clippers threatened a comeback, but the Thunder hit shot after shot to keep the Clippers at (more than) arm’s length.

Notes

Standings Watch: After tonight’s loss, the Clippers are the third seed in the Western Conference. They have a one loss advantage over the Denver Nuggets, and are one and two losses behind the Thunder and Timberwolves respectively. On one hand, the Clippers are tied with the most post-All Star Break games, so there are more opportunities to lose. On the other hand, the Clippers have more opportunities to build on their chemistry and solidify their lineups.

Shot Distribution: So far this season, Kawhi and PG are averaging 17 shot attempts to Harden’s 11. Moreover, Kawhi is only taking five threes per game. Of course, their roles are different (especially Harden’s, who is responsible for running the offense), but the Clippers have to find more shots for Kawhi. In a way, one can be too efficient in that it reflect that a player is not aggressive enough—or the team is not searching for the player often enough. In high pressure games like this, especially with PG struggling, the Clippers have to find ways to get Kawhi more easy shots.

Thunder third quarter blitz beats Clippers, 129-107
Kenneth Armstrong

In their first game since Paul George’s knee injury on Tuesday night (which seems to have avoided catastrophe and could see him return in the playoffs), the Clippers’ new-look starting lineup, with Eric Gordon in George’s place, stumbled. The unit lost their first quarter shift by 7 points against Oklahoma City, and then returned in the second quarter to lose their shift together by 6. Despite a slightly better third quarter performance that saw the lineup of Russell Westbrook, Gordon, Kawhi Leonard, Marcus Morris, and Ivica Zubac close their first night together as starters -7 overall, this wouldn’t have been the same contest without a staggering bench bailout in both halves lifting the Clippers to victory.

Immediately in the first quarter, Bones Hyland (returning to the floor after seven straight DNPs) and Terance Mann brought a spark, and the bench lineups with that guard duo, Nico Batum, Mason Plumlee, and one of Westbrook or Leonard staggered in with them thrived all night–Leonard’s bench lineups were +25 in 10 minutes, while Westbrook’s were +9 in 7 minutes.

While Leonard and Westbrook were the focal points of their respective lineups, with 32-6-6-4 and 24-7-2(-4 turnovers) respectively, it was clear that the bench unit’s energy and synergy stood out. Hyland contributed 16 points, 7 assists (to only 1 turnover), and 4 rebounds while going +32 in his minutes. Mann added 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists while also going +32. Batum finally found his shot at home, going 4-6 from three en route to 12 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and a +34. Big man Mason Plumlee rounded out the second unit with more modest contributions of 2 points and 7 rebounds while finishing the game +28. The Clippers had their best three-point shooting game since the high-scoring double overtime thriller against Sacramento a month ago, hitting 18-37 from deep to break out of a little slump. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City struggled to get much going outside of their exciting trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, and Jalen Williams, as other Thunder shot a horrendous 16-51 from the floor.

This was a much-needed win for the Clippers in more ways than one. In a concrete way, they would have fallen into a tie in the loss column with OKC and been at severe risk of falling into the play-in tournament down the stretch of the season with a loss tonight. This game doubles as not only avoiding a loss, but knocking the Thunder back a step, granting the Clippers a little bit of breathing room between themselves and 7th. The season is still far from over, and where they land between 4th, 5th, and 6th is still up in the air, but the Clippers should be strongly favored to hold on to a top-6 finish, which would have not been the case with a loss tonight. The Clippers currently sit in fifth place with 35 losses, one loss behind fourth-place Phoenix at 34, and one loss ahead of sixth-place Golden State at 36. That dynamic isn’t particularly scary (in fact, 6th could be preferable to 4th or 5th for a number of reasons), but the pack of six (!!) teams ranked 7th-12th who sit at 37 losses certainly is.

It was also important for the Clippers to get a home win against a mediocre team (something that hasn’t been a given this week, with home losses to Orlando and OKC), especially in their first game since learning they’re likely to be without Paul George for the rest of the season. They need to take care of business for the standings (the hard games on the schedule are a lot harder without PG), but they also need to both build some confidence and figure out how to set up the team in his absence. The starting lineup’s struggles tonight warrant substantial concern, as Kawhi-led units should be able to beat average teams and the bench probably won’t go +30 again, but it’s always easier to take a deep breath and make measured adjustments after a feel-good, fun win than a frustrating loss. Fortunately, the Clippers have a couple more relatively easy tests upcoming, with two more home games against (slightly) under-.500 opponents (including the New Orleans Pelicans, who are in the aforementioned 6-team pack chasing them) before heading out on the road again. With just 8 games left in the season, they can’t afford to leave more winnable games on the table.

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Bench Bails Out Starters as Clippers Roll Thunder, 127-105
Lucas Hann

In a one-point loss for the Clippers to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, the biggest gut punch didn’t come at the final buzzer, but with 4:38 to play, when Paul George fell to the court after a collision with Lu Dort while securing a defensive rebound. Replay showed a particularly concerning combination of contact on George’s knee as he landed from his leap, resulting in the knee bending noticeably backwards. He was helped off the floor and wouldn’t return. Tomorrow, we should get an update that will determine the Clippers’ hopes for the remainder of the season. On the optimistic side, a hyperextension could see him return for the first round of the NBA Playoffs (if the Clippers can avoid/survive the Play-In Tournament). We all know what the worst-case scenario looks like. In the meantime, here are a few notes and updates from this game:

The Thunder Worked the Clippers

George’s injury aside, this was not LAC’s best night. They jumped out to an early 17-4 lead behind aggressive play against OKC’s weak interior defense, but nonetheless found a way to lose the first quarter by 1 point and fail to make up ground in the remaining 3 periods, ultimately losing by 1. The Thunder are not a bad or tanking team by any means–they’re nearly .500 and have a wealth of talented players. They’re still an under-.500 opponent visiting Los Angeles, and one that is eerily close enough to the Clippers in the standings that this game warranted some degree of urgency. But as has so often been the case for this Clippers team, it was either missing or fleeting, even in a game that had a frenetic flow at times. LAC was just 6-31 from deep, though chalking it up to a poor shooting night would excuse some bad process that as resulted in them getting a worse diet of three point attempts in recent games. Even worse, they went 12-21 from free throw line, missing 9 free throws in a 1-point loss. Oklahoma City made one more free throw on two-thirds the attempts, 13-14.

Paul George did a 360 dunk in traffic

One Officiating Mistake Spiraled

It feels trivial in light of how George’s injury will impact this team going forward and how much of tonight came down to the team playing poorly, but there was a truly egregious sequence of bad refereeing in the second quarter that undeniably changed the trajectory of this game. Kawhi Leonard was fouled on a drive to the rim, but the official missed the call. These things happen. Leonard, frustrated, clapped and yelled “foul!” Still fine. The referee curiously decided that this mild reaction warranted a technical foul (someone needs to find a clip of this guy officiating one of the games where Draymond Green dances around screaming without getting a tech), and then immediately gave Terance Mann not one but two technical fouls for reacting to Leonard’s tech. The first, according to the officiating crew postgame, was for “pointing at” the referee, while the second was for profanity following the first tech. In an instant, a missed call that was an officiating mistake to begin with was compounded into three free throws for the Thunder and the ejection of Mann, who was in the midst of a very good second quarter.

Like I said, this feels trivial against the backdrop of both how LAC could have still comfortably won this game with better play and how George’s injury influences this team’s future, but it mattered. OKC made 2 of those technical free throws in a game that they won by 1. Kawhi Leonard didn’t get a free throw that he deserved on the initial missed call. And Mann’s disqualification cost the Clippers one of their best players, particularly in games that were as open and helter-skelter as this one.

Robert Covington is the 10th* Man

While his shift tonight was less than impressive, it appears that Covington is Ty Lue’s go-to 10th* man regardless of if a guard or wing is unavailable (*technically, if Norman Powell was healthy, RoCo would then be 11th, but you get the point). While Lue has been consistent with his 9-man rotation recently, when Kawhi Leonard missed last weekend’s game against Orlando, Eric Gordon started and Covington replaced Gordon on the second unit ahead of much more obvious like-for-like scoring guard options in Bones Hyland and Amir Coffey. Again, today, a second unit guard was unavailable in the second half, and Lue opted for Covington to enter the 9-man rotation for a shift instead of one of this depth guards.

And what an absurd shift it was–in a strange offensive delirium, Covington put up 8 shots in 7 fourth quarter minutes after not playing in the first 3 quarters. He only made one, and while several of the attempts were perfectly justifiable ones that you’d trust him to take and make consistently, it was clear that he was gunning. I’m not sure if this was a guy who has played sparingly just trying to get his shots up, but he didn’t do the Clippers any favors as they tried to reestablish control of this one.

Thursday’s Game is Massive

The Clippers have a rematch against these same Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night, this time presumably without Paul George. With the backdrop of George’s injury looming large (we should at least know Wednesday if there is hope of him returning this season or not), Thursday will be a massive game in the Western Conference playoff race. The Clippers still hold sole possession of 5th place, but things are ever so perilous behind them: four teams (Golden State, Oklahoma City, Dallas, and Utah) each have just one more loss than LAC, and three more (Minnesota, the Lakers, and New Orleans) sit two losses back of the Clippers. Win on Thursday to stay ahead of that pack in the loss column while knocking the Thunder back a step, and the Clippers would be in strong position to avoid the Play-In Tournament with a 4-4 finish or better in their last 8 games.

But losing to the Thunder would pull you into a virtual tie with them, and the Clippers’ tiebreaker situation isn’t good. They’ve lost their season series with Oklahoma City, Minnesota, and Utah, and tied with Dallas and Golden State, meaning that they lack two-way tiebreakers with the teams closes behind them and would be likely to lose multi-team tiebreakers as well. It’s such that according to PlayoffStatus.com, the Clippers would have a 70% chance of avoiding the play-in tournament if they win Thursday drop to 42% with a loss, even opening the door to finishing outside of the top 10 with crucial head-to-head games remaining against current outside-looking-in teams like the Pelicans (x2), Lakers, and Trail Blazers. It would be a stretch to call this a true must-win for the Clippers, but it is unquestionably a game of playoff-level importance. It would be nice to see a playoff-level urgency, especially against an opponent that, while talented, should really be the type of young squad that this veteran-laden, win-now Clippers squad can put away when the pressure is on.

Clippers Lose George, Game vs Thunder
Lucas Hann

The Clippers will return to LA with a losing record after dropping two games to the OKC Thunder in three days. Although the Clippers were without Leonard and Morris in both, and George in one, the Clippers did not deserve to win either game. The available roster was better than that of the Thunder, yet the Clippers played their way into losses. Check out our recap of the car crash below:

Summary

The Clippers almost immediately took themselves out of the game, going down 30 to 12 late in the first quarter. Both teams shot a lot better tonight; unlike Tuesday, in the first half, OKC shot 49% to the Clippers 60% and both teams were over 40% from three. Unfortunately, though, the Clippers’ turnover issues did not get back on track, as they had 11 in the first half alone (they would go on to finish with 19).

A very nice second quarter actually gave the Clippers a seven point lead at the half, 60-53. Notably, Reggie Jackson looked much more comfortable and perhaps almost over his groin injury. Norm Powell also started to get going in the first half and really took off in the second. And, of course, Zubac established his presence early.

But the Clippers lost both second-half quarters, largely because they continued to turn the ball over, played very poor perimeter defense, and could not get Paul George in a rhythm on offense. George finished with just 10 points on 4/12 shooting in 31 minutes, and he had a team-worst -25 plus-minus. He was clearly still a little off from his illness, but the Clippers asked him to score out of isolation sets too often, which did not help his return to play.

Notes

Zubac Keeps Rolling: Ivica Zubac set another career-high in rebounds tonight, grabbing 18 (five offensive). He also played 34 minutes, which is where he needs to be, especially now that we have seen that the “small-ball” units are not ready for prime time.

Norm Powell Looks Alive: After getting pulled from the game (inexplicably) after just three minutes, Norm came back with a new level of aggression. He finished the game with 21 points on 9/15 shooting in 31 minutes. He still had more turnovers (3) than assists (2), only had three rebounds, and was average on defense, but the Clippers will have to take it at this point. If Norm can continue to play aggressively, they will have a chance to accelerate the bonding that needs to happen on the court. Specifically, when Norm goes north-and-south, it draws defenders away from shooters and generally keeps the offense from going stale or heavily into isolation.

That about does it for this recap of the Clippers’ game against the Thunder. As always, check out The Lob The Jam The Podcast and Clips ‘N Dip for analysis throughout the week, and follow us on Twitter to watch the game with us!

Clippers owned by Thunder again, 118-110
Kenneth Armstrong

On Thursday, the Los Angeles Clippers will have an opprotunity to avenge themselves after a tough—some might say, humbling—night on Tuesday against the Thunder. Paul George will likely be back from his illness but, with Kawhi out, the Clippers’ depth will get another test against this young Thunder team. Check out the preview for the Clippers’ second game against the Thunder below.

Game Information

Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK

When: 5:00 PM PT

How to Watch: Bally Sports West

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: Reggie Jackson – Norm Powell – Paul George – Nic Batum – Ivica Zubac

Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Tre Mann – Luguentz Dort – Aaron Wiggins – Jeremiah Robinson-Earl

Injuries

Clippers: Paul George, questionable (non-COVID illness); Marcus Morris, out (personal); Kawhi Leonard, out (knee injury management)

Thunder: Chet Holmgren, out (foot); Josh Giddey out (ankle); Jalen Williams, out (orbital bone)

The Big Picture

Over the last three season, the Clippers have always dropped a game to the Thunder. Although the losses came in different contexts, they serve as a reminder that any NBA team can beat another on any given night. Well, the Clippers had their mulligan on Tuesday, so they need to get back on track and avoid dropping another game to a team that is not particularly trying to win.

If Paul George has had enough time to get over his illness, the Clippers should feel much better about their chances. The Thunder do not have anyone skilled or athletic enough to guard PG, and PG will supplant Shai as the best player in the game.

Notes

Although Paul George is likely back from his illness, it would not be surprising to see him have a slow start, given that he probably has not played much since Sunday. Moreover, Reggie Jackson’s groin injury, according to Ty Lue, is meaningfully limiting his play, so the expectations for him ought to be lowered too.

The Clippers also will not have much of an opportunity to work on their offense, given that there is only one day in between games. This means Norm Powell will not be able to get further integrated into his new (albeit temporary?) role with the starting unit.

The creases that need to be ironed out will take a while; Thursday might just be a step in the right direction—it might not look pretty yet.

That about does it for this preview of the Clippers’ game against the Thunder. As always, check out The Lob The Jam The Podcast and Clips ‘N Dip for analysis throughout the week, and follow us on Twitter to watch the game with us!

Clippers vs Thunder Game Preview: The Do-Over
Kenneth Armstrong

The “short-handed” Clippers lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night. This embarrassing game might have been a game the Clippers could forget quickly, if it were not for the fact that they take on this Thunder team again on Thursday.

But before we get to the recap, here are a few updates from this morning’s preview: Reggie Jackson did in fact play despite his groin discomfort and, more critically, Kawhi Leonard did not play because of “right knee; injury management.” It was reported that he would be flying home to LA “out of an abundance of caution” after Leonard reported knee stiffness during shoot around, but he was on the Clippers’ bench, for whatever that is worth.

The Clippers ended up starting Reggie Jackson, Norman Powell, Terance Mann, Nicolas Batum, and Ivica Zubac.

Summary

The Thunder came out hard, winning the first quarter 23-18. But their early lead was not the result of hot shooting—they only shot 35% from the field and were 0/6 from three. Instead, they took advantage of the Clippers’ five first-quarter turnovers and earned four offensive rebounds. This gave them eight more shot attempts in the first quarter.

The Clippers only lost the second quarter by one, resulting in a six point deficit at the half. But the Clippers did not even deserve to be that close. Despite the Thunder continuing to be cold from three (12.5% at the half), the Clippers had five more turnovers in the quarter, gave up five more offensive rebounds, and looked like they had never played together.

The third quarter was absolutely embarrassing for the Clippers. They only lost the quarter by ten, but the Thunder pushed their lead to as high as 26. During one stretch, the Clippers gave up a 21-0 run. To their credit, the Clippers did respond with a 20-7 run of their own, but they still found themselves down 16 going into the forth quarter.

Again, the Thunder were not exactly lighting the Clippers up. In the end, the Thunder shot just 38% from the field and 13% from three. But the Clippers’ disorganization and lack of focus allowed the Thunder to win the rebounding battle by 13 (including grabbing 21 offensive rebounds), win the turnover column by 13, and earn seven more free throw attempts. This meant that the Clippers’ late-game push, during which they cut the deficit to 11 at multiple points, was way too little, way too late.

Notes

The Two Lone Bright Spots: The rest of these notes will be deeply painful, but let’s start with two positive things to highlight: Amir Coffey and Ivica Zubac played pretty well. Amir was a team-leading +13 in his 26 minutes, scoring 8 points and going 6/6 from the free throw line. Although he shot poorly (1/5 from the field), Amir defended well and brought an overall maturity to the floor, whereas the rest of the team was either skittish or spaced-out. Zubac, for his part, had 10 points, 14 rebounds, and a career-high 7 blocks.

Norm Powell’s Struggles: Norm finished the game with seven points (3/10 from the field and 0/5 from three) and four turnovers. He was -20 in his 30 minutes. But, even more concerning, he looked lost—again. Although his role has been changed multiple times since preseason, his own decision making has been suspect. In the Clippers’ first four games, he is averaging more turnovers (3.25) than assists (1.4) and does not seem to fit into the offensive flow (to be fair, the Clippers do not have much of an offensive flow at all). His defense has also been bad.

The Worst Offense in the League: Before listing the problems with this Clippers offense, yes: Kawhi has missed two games, Morris and PG missed Tuesday’s game, and Kawhi, when he plays, has not played much. But, all summer, everyone celebrated how deep this team is. Well, the offensive numbers so far suggest that depth is not a silver bullet.

First, the Clippers are averaging a league-worst 100.8 points per game.

Second, the Clippers are averaging over 17 turnovers a game, which puts them in the bottom four, if not worse.

Third, the three point shooting—once the Clippers’ superpower—has been a liability, as the Clippers have shot under 33% through four games.

What’s worse, the treatment required for this offensive anemia is more consistency in terms of rotations—and that won’t be available for the foreseeable future. Kawhi will be coming off the bench and under a minutes restrictions until further notice, and the schedule may require this older roster to continue to rest players.

Finally, Rest in Peace to Marcus Morris’ father: Thursday, Marcus tweeted “Love you Pops. R.I.P. OG.” Although it has not been formally announced, it seems safe to assume this is why Marcus is “out” for personal reasons. Regardless, we at 213Hoops send our prayers to Marcus and his family during this time of grieving.

Clippers humbled by young Thunder, Lose 108-94
Kenneth Armstrong

The Los Angeles Clippers leave California for the first time on Tuesday, heading over to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder. Check out our preview below.

Game Information

Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK

When: 5:00 PM PT

How to Watch: Bally Sports West

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: Reggie Jackson – Norm Powell – Terranc Mann – Nic Batum – Ivica Zubac

Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Josh Giddey – Luguentz Dort – Kenrich Williams – Aleksej Pokuševski

Injuries

Clippers: Reggie Jackson probable (groin), Marcus Morris out (personal), Paul George out (illness)

Thunder: Chet Holmgren out (foot), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander out (hip), Josh Giddey out (ankle)

The Big Picture

After playing three Pacific Division rivals to start the season, the Clippers get a chance to bank some wins over the next two weeks—starting with this game against the Thunder. The Thunder come into this two-game mini series with the Clippers 0-3, and the predominate narrative is that this is another “throw away” season, as the team presumably angles for a 14% chance to land Victor Wembanyama in next year’s draft.

The Clippers, on the other hand, will have the incentive to make this the first “easy” game of the season—not just win. Whereas their first three games took full-game efforts (save for the last three minutes of Sunday’s game against the Suns), the Clippers’ talent advantage presents the opportunity to put the game away early, so Kawhi, Reggie, and Wall can comfortably play under their minutes restrictions.

Other than Lu Dort, the Thunder do not have anyone on their roster who can reliably and consistently guard any of the Clippers’ five or six best players. So long as the Clippers keep turnovers to a minimum and focus, Clippers Nation should be very optimistic about this game.

The Antagonist

Regardless of talent, this is still the NBA: Any team can beat another on any given night. Moreover, the Thunder, so far, are tied for fourth in rebounds per game. Even though it’s based on a small sample size, the Clippers are eleventh and have had rebounding issues for the last few seasons.

Plus, the Clippers have had their fair share of nightmare games in Oklahoma City—even when they’ve been the much better team on paper. If the Clippers are a serious team, they need to feast on these young, inexperienced teams.

As always, check out The Lob The Jam The Podcast and Clips ‘N Dip for analysis throughout the week, and follow us on Twitter to watch the game with us!

Clippers vs Thunder Game Preview
Kenneth Armstrong

After trailing for most of the night, and by as much as 15 points, the L.A. Clippers (2-4) came back to take down the Oklahoma City Thunder (1-6), 99-94 Monday night. A game in which Paul George was unreal and also got rewarded with the dub, he put up 32 points (11-24 FG, 5-8 3PT, 5-6 FT), nine rebounds, seven assists and three steals in a game-high 40 minutes. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was highly impressive, leading OKC with 28 points (11-23 FG, 3-5 3PT, 3-3 FT), seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Read on for our full Clippers vs. Thunder game recap.

Summary

If you’re a fan of airballs, turnovers and scoring droughts, the first half of this game was tailor-made for you. The first quarter was painfully more of the same for the Clippers. While the defense continued to be solid, with LAC giving up just 23 points, the offense remained impossible not to feel worried about. Outside of Paul George subbing out with about four minutes left and coming back in to close for the last 70 seconds, the Clippers operated just how they did in their past two contests — generating wide open looks, but having nothing to show for it. Darius Bazley and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored as much as the nine Clippers who checked in on 17 less shots. The leading scorer for the Clippers was Justise Winslow, who had four points on two layups. After one, the Clips trailed 23-14.

It sure wasn’t pretty, or fun, but the Clips scrapped their deficit back into single digits in the second quarter. The two sides matched each other with 15 boards and six turnovers apiece, and the offense was simply subpar on both ends, but LAC ultimately outscored OKC 26-21 in the period on 39.1% shooting compared to the Thunder’s 28.6%. Tyronn Lue had the Clippers go small almost the entire way, and Paul George played the entire stretch without a breather. At the half, the Clippers shot just 15-for-50 (30%) from the field and 3-for-21 from three (14.3%), but trailed just 44-40. Once again, the giant elephant in Staples Center was the combined 4-for-16 shooting from Reggie Jackson and Eric Bledsoe, who continued to put up shot after shot without any rhythm whatsoever.

In the third, the shots started to fall on both sides, but not much ground was able to be made due to Gilgeous-Alexander’s 15-point explosion. For most of the quarter, OKC preserved their lead by capitalizing on the Clippers’ over-aggression — a PG mis-dribble turned clear path foul, a Bledsoe giveaway to an SGA layup, and a frustration PG three-point attempt answered by a loud SGA stepback three. With 3:54 left to go in the third, OKC up nine and the game teetering in the balance, however, Luke Kennard, Paul George and Nicolas Batum salvaged the period with four straight threes to keep the Clippers in it. Heading into the final frame, the Thunder led 74-66.

For most of the fourth, it once again felt like the Clippers just didn’t have enough offense outside of George and Kennard, and ultimately, were out of gas. Missing three after three and drive after drive, while OKC’s Théo Maledon, SGA and Josh Giddey made it look easy on their end, the Clippers were dead in the water down 91-82 with 2:44 remaining. What happened next was nothing short of special from PG13. In a span of two-minutes, George hit a size-up three, got a rebound and hit another size-up three, got a piece of an SGA layup without fouling, hit Kennard on the three to tie the game, nailed a right elbow jab-step 10-footer to take the lead, and stripped Bazley on a drive.

Clippers vs. Thunder Game Notes

• MVPG: PG was spectacular, but it is concerning that it took a monster game from him, with just three short breaks, to down OKC. A win’s a win, and surely this dreadful level of shooting from the rest of the team won’t last much longer, but the Clippers truly have to find a better way of easing his work load as the number of games add up.

• The Second Guy(s): It was Luke Kennard, Nicolas Batum, Terance Mann and Reggie Jackson who collectively stepped up as that “second guy” tonight, with each having scoring bursts over the course of the game to give PG some much-needed help. Outside of Batum, who was also great defensively the entire game, tonight really showcased the “do-it-by-committee” nature of how the supporting cast will need to play this season with George as the lone star. Of course, that overall level of support will also need to drastically pick up from where it was tonight when the Clippers take on teams much tougher than OKC.
• Hartenstein Outplays Zu: Although Ty Lue went to his small-ball lineups once again for nearly 10 minutes tonight, it was pretty surprising to see Ivica Zubac playing just the opening shifts of the first and third quarters. Zu didn’t look particularly great tonight, however, and that was reflected strongly in the final box stats as Isaiah Hartenstein tallied over twice as many boards as him and played the majority of the traditional center minutes between the two.
• Up Next: The Clippers will head on the road to begin a two-game mini-series against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center on Wednesday, Nov. 3 at 5 p.m. PT.

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Clippers vs. Thunder Recap: PG13 Wills Clips to Win
Ralston Dacanay

The L.A. Clippers (1-4) kick off their November slate of games at home against the rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder (1-5) Monday night. Read on for our full Clippers vs. Thunder game preview.

Clippers vs. Thunder Game Information

Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
When: 7:30 p.m. PT
How to Tune in: Bally Sports SoCal, AM 570 KLAC, KTMZ

Projected Starting Lineups:
L.A. Clippers: Eric Bledsoe – Reggie Jackson – Paul George – Nicolas Batum – Ivica Zubac
Oklahoma City Thunder: Josh Giddey – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Darius Bazley – Jeremiah Robinson-Earl – Derrick Favors

Injury Report:
L.A. Clippers: Serge Ibaka – OUT (Low Back – Injury Recovery), Keon Johnson – OUT (G League – On Assignment), Kawhi Leonard – OUT (Right Knee; ACL – Injury Recovery), Marcus Morris Sr. – OUT (Left Knee – Injury Maintenance), Jason Preston – OUT (Right Foot – Injury Recovery)
Oklahoma City Thunder: Gabriel Deck – OUT (Left Heel Contusion), Lugentz Dort – OUT (Right Shoulder Contusion), Vit Krejci – OUT (G League – On Assignment), Tre Mann – OUT (G League – On Assignment), Paul Watson – OUT (G League – Two-Way), Aaron Wiggins – OUT (G League – Two-Way)

The Big Picture

The Clippers are due for some wins. A team’s first five games of the NBA season is by no means enough to project their trajectory the rest of the way, but 1-4 is an ugly start no matter how you slice it. Although far from full strength, the Clippers are treading territory last ventured by the franchise’s last sub-.500 run in 2010-11, when a rookie Blake Griffin and 22-year-old Eric Gordon led LAC to a 32-50 record. They say you’re either winning or you’re learning, and for the Clippers, hopefully it’s time to see some of these learning moments being put to good use.

The Antagonist

There’s likely no better opportunity for the Clippers to get it going in today’s league than the one presented to them tonight. Oklahoma City has the youngest roster in the NBA this season with an average age of 23 years and 217 days. With five rookies, three sophomores and five players in just their third NBA season, the Thunder’s lone vets are 12-year-man Derrick Favors and Clipper legend Mike Muscala. While the Clippers’ recent struggles have looked pretty horrific in a condensed lens, OKC is one of the few teams to have shot worse than LAC, and rebound nearly just as poorly so far.

Amazing things can and still happen in this league, however, even for the tanking Thunder, who notoriously overcame a 26-point deficit to hand the Los Angeles Lakers a 123-115 loss in OKC last Wednesday. With a 27-9-5 stat line in that one, the ever-beloved former Clipper Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has continued to look well deserving of the five-year, $172 million maximum rookie contract extension he signed this summer. Interestingly enough, SGA has averaged 20.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists on 51.6/38.9/100 splits in his first six outings against the Clippers.

Clippers vs. Thunder Game Notes

• Starting Line Slumps: The Clippers are lacking some major offensive weapons to throw out there of course, but there’s been no denying that the decision to start Eric Bledsoe and Reggie Jackson together has looked questionable. With the starting backcourt combining for 33.5% shooting from the field and 26.5% from deep per game thus far, perhaps it’s time to see Luke Kennard or Terance Mann get the starting nod.
• Make-or-miss League: Coming off of a year in which the Clippers just had one of the most efficient perimeter-shooting regular seasons of all-time, it’s been extra painful to watch the team go as cold as it’s been thus far. Entering tonight, the Clippers have the eighth-best defensive rating in the league (102.3). As mentioned by Mirjam Swanson of the Southern California News Group, they also lead the NBA in most “open” shots taken per game at 28.4 FGA, yet have converted them at just a 35.2% clip. According to Shot Quality, the Clippers have been Top-3 with their shot selection, and are overwhelmingly the team most due for positive regression with their record.

• In Need of Some Board Men: After placing 17th in the rebounding department last season, LAC has been dead last in taking care of the glass thus far (41.0 RPG compared to the first-place Miami Heat’s 54.5). Per The Athletic’s Law Murray, the Clippers have grabbed a league-low 43.6% of available rebounds so far — a figure that would be the worst by an NBA team in the last 25 years if it were to somehow hold up. The struggle to secure rebounds has seen the Clippers often be on the wrong end of plays in transition. Perhaps that’s due to Ivica Zubac still feeling some of the effects of that MCL sprain. Or Marcus Morris Sr. and Serge Ibaka being out. Or guys still needing time to get in sync with one another. Whatever it is, the Clippers need to get the energy up and take care of the dirty work so they can get back to having some fun.

Feel free to stick around and chat down below as this article’s comment section will serve as our live game thread tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Sign up for a free account and join the conversation!

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Clippers vs. Thunder Preview: Searching for a Spark
Ralston Dacanay

With only one day remaining in the 2020-2021 NBA regular season, just three playoff teams know which seed they will enter the postseason as. The Clippers, as has been well documented, are not one of these teams. They enter this final regular season game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with a chance to finish either 3rd or 4th in the Western Conference. Which would be more preferable? Well, let’s take a look, along with a quick preview of the Clippers’ game against the Thunder.

The 3rd Seed

In order for the Clippers to finish 3rd in the West, they would need a win over the Thunder on Sunday, coupled with a Denver Nuggets loss to Portland. While this scenario would lock the Clippers into 3rd, it would not yet solidify their first round opponent.

After the Clippers’ loss to Houston on Friday, the possibility of a Lakers vs. Clippers first round showdown was eliminated. This left just Dallas and Portland as potential first round opponents. While the outcome of any NBA game is unpredictable, especially at this stage of the season, there are a few outcomes on Sunday that seem most likely. The first of these is a Clippers’ win over Oklahoma City. With optimal lottery odds at stake, the Thunder are in desperate need of a loss. The Clippers are currently listing everyone as available aside from Amir Coffey, Terance Mann, and DeMarcus Cousins. All of these factors make a Clippers’ win increasingly likely.

As previously stated, a Clippers’ win alone does not clinch the 3rd seed. Denver would also need to lose to Portland in order for the Clips to finish 3rd. Similar to the Clippers likelihood of victory over OKC, a Denver Nuggets loss to Portland also seems very likely. The Blazers are in need of a season finale victory if they want to ensure a spot in the top-6, and subsequently avoid the play-in tournament. The Nuggets however, should not be as eager to finish the season in the win column. Regardless of what the Clippers do on Sunday, a Nuggets’ win in the season finale locks Denver into the 3rd seed. Because Denver plays Portland, a Nuggets win would also leave the door open for the Lakers to escape the play-in tournament. A Lakers win coupled with a Portland loss would move the Lakers to 6th, Blazers to 7th, and Nuggets to 3rd, creating a Lakers vs. Nuggets first round matchup. With the Lakers making quick work of Denver in last year’s Western Conference Finals, it is hard to imagine the Nuggets seeking out a rematch in round one this year.

Due to all of these factors, the most likely outcome on Sunday seems to be a Clippers’ win and Nuggets’ loss, which would lock the Clippers into 3rd. The Clips would then be a Dallas Mavericks’ win away from a 3-6 first round matchup with the Blazers. The Mavs, who play Minnesota in their season finale, should certainly be expected to come out on top in that one.

The 4th Seed

The Clippers will enter their season finale as the 4th seed. With Denver holding the tiebreaker over the Clippers, the Nuggets would have to lose in order for LAC to finish 3rd. Any combination of a Clippers’ loss or Nuggets’ win would lock LAC into the 4th seed. If the Clippers were to finish 4th, a first round matchup with the Dallas Mavericks seems most likely. As previously highlighted, Dallas will likely beat the tanking T-Wolves on Sunday, which would lock them into 5th. With Luka and the Mavs giving the Clippers’ significantly more trouble than Dame and the Blazers have this season, a first round matchup with Portland seems to be the most preferable outcome for the Clippers.

While the Clippers do not entirely control their own seeding destiny, a win on Sunday is in their best interest. Because the 4th seed likely comes with another series against Luka, gunning for 3rd should be the Clippers’ priority. Considering the Nuggets’ incentive to lose their last game, combined with the Blazers’ pursuit of a victory, there is even more reason for the Clippers to take care of business on Sunday and secure a win.

Summary

It has been well documented that anybody can beat anybody on any given night in the NBA. This reality is only magnified as the season winds down, and teams are battling for seeding, lottery odds, and preferable playoff opponents. Because of this, predicting outcomes is next to impossible; however, certain trends and logical conclusions can make it easier. That is what this breakdown has been.

To give a definitive answer to the pressing question of what seed the Clippers should prefer, I say 3rd. The first step towards securing that outcome is taking care of business against the Thunder on Sunday.

Clippers vs. Thunder Preview: Painting Playoff Picture
Joey Linn