The Clippers’ 101-99 loss the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 was simply too devastating to do a blow-by-blow written recap for, so instead Lucas and I talked about it for 75 minutes in the latest episode of The Lob The Jam The Podcast.

We discussed the Clippers’ heartbreaking loss to the Nuggets in Game 4 at home, tying the series at 2-2 heading back to Denver. We went over the ins and outs of the game, debated the importance of the 4th quarter run that nearly stole the game for the Clippers, and lamented the unfortunate “make or miss” elements of the game of basketball – as well as looked forward to the back half of the series and what adjustments the Clippers might make.

Listen to the episode wherever you get your podcasts, like Spotify or Apple. I’ve also included the Spreaker page below.

TLTJTP: Recapping the Clippers’ Heartbreaking Game 4 Loss to the Nuggets
Robert Flom

Well, that was tough. The Clippers led for much of the afternoon only to let the game slip through their fingers down the stretch due to a series of turnovers and Nuggets’ offensive rebounds. It was a bad time. I won’t go blow-for-blow because it would just make me upset, so some notes are below.

Notes

Kawhi’s Playmaking: If you had to boil the loss down to three things, it would be the Nuggets wanting it more, the Clippers turning the ball over, and Kawhi getting outplayed by Aaron Gordon. All three of those items converge with Kawhi’s poor passing in this one. Kawhi’s biggest weakness as a player (not counting availability) has always been his playmaking – he simply doesn’t read the floor well and is a reactive passer, not a proactive one. The Nuggets exposed that weakness through regular double teams and help, never letting Kawhi get clear lanes or easy one-on-one matchups. In response, Kawhi turned the ball over 7 times to just 2 assists, and missed out on a bunch of easy passes due to defensive pressure. Kawhi is never going to be Magic Johnson, but he’s going to need to figure out Denver’s defensive coverages and cut down significantly on his turnovers.

Odd Rotation Choices: This is less about who didn’t play (all nine Clippers I thought would log minutes did) but more about how many minutes the different players received. In a game that went to overtime, Ivica Zubac played just 39 minutes – meaning he’d have logged just 34 in regulation. For Kawhi Leonard, those numbers were 41 and 36 respectively, and for Harden, 43 and 38. The Clippers are older than the Nuggets and I don’t want Ty Lue to play these guys 44+ minutes per game right away, but I think Kawhi and Zu in particular probably could have logged an extra 2 minutes in each half that might have made the difference. There were even a couple minutes where none of the Clippers’ Big 3 were on the court – that just can’t happen in the playoffs.

Disasters for Norm and Bogi: The Clippers’ two shooting guards were abysmal in this one. Norm contributed more than Bogi but also played a lot more, so may have been a bigger negative. Bogi was scoreless in his 12 minutes, going 0-5 from the field along with 4 fouls and 3 turnovers (he did have 5 boards). Norm scored 12 points on 5-12 shooting in 37 minutes, but turned the ball over 4 times and also made one of his threes in the final seconds when the game was over. Not only that, but in a game where the Clippers’ defense was mostly excellent, Norm and Bogi were the two clear wink links that were targeted by the Nuggets. The defense will probably not improve much, so Norm and Bogi simply have to be more effective on offense than they were today: more confident, more decisive, and more surehanded with the ball in their hands. It’s wild the Clippers were even in this one with how bad these two (and Kawhi) were in this one.

Harden, Zu Excel: After three negative notes, I must shout out James Harden and Ivica Zubac, who were brilliant and very solid respectively in this one. Harden carved up the Nuggets defense to the tune of 32 points on 22 shots with 11 assists to 2 turnovers, and if anything probably should have been more aggressive scoring the ball. Zu had 21 points on 15 shots and collected 13 rebounds in his 39 minutes while doing yeoman’s work on Jokic. Those two don’t need to change up much of what they did tonight, outside of both being more aggressive with scoring and trying to stay out of foul trouble. Good stuff guys.

More Nico: Nic Batum played 24 minutes in this one and I think he probably should have logged at least 30 – including closing out the game over Norm. He was as steady as always on defense, made 3 of his 6 threes, and just adds size that the Clippers don’t have a lot of on the perimeter. There will be games where the Clippers need more scoring punch from Norm or Bogi, or better point of attack defense from Dunn or DJJ, but Nico’s reliability is so valuable on both ends. It’s the playoffs – there’s no point saving him now.

Clippers vs Nuggets 2025 Game 1 Recap: A Brutal Loss
Robert Flom

Having lost a brutal first game of the season in a nail-biter at home, the Clippers went on the road and snagged an impressive 109-104 win in Denver in another tight contest. We are mostly not going to be doing recaps this year, but the first win of the season felt like it deserved one.

The Clippers outplayed the Nuggets for most of the game, but some absurd shotmaking by Nikola Jokic (41 points on 14-26 shooting, 7-11 from three) kept the Nuggets in it after they went down big early. The Nuggets even had a small lead at points in the final frame, but shotmaking by Norm Powell and some clutch James Harden free throws ultimately won the day. Here are some notes.

Big Zu, Big Time: The biggest story of the Clippers’ first two games, on an individual level, is the play of Ivica Zubac. Big Zu had 24 points on 11-17 shooting, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, and a block, and played an incredible 39 minutes. He has scored 20 points in back to back games for the first time in his career, the exact kind of scoring that the Clippers needed with Kawhi out and Paul George gone. His defense on Jokic was honestly pretty good, Jokic is just insane. And his ability to play 39 minutes and still be solid at the end with one of the highest minutes totals of his career was highly impressive. If he continues to play even close to this level, the Clippers just might be able to stay afloat without Kawhi.

Harden, in Control: This was Harden at his late-career best. Compared to his performance against the Suns, where he took 29 shots and was forcing things, Harden took just 11 in this one and was content to orchestrate the show. He still scored 23 points, largely due to 12-13 from the line, and will need to be aggressive in other games, but his playmaking was on full display in this one. The seven turnovers were a lot, but considering how much he had the ball they weren’t a shock. More importantly, he was nearly always in control and kept the trains running on time. There are plenty of limitations to Harden’s game now, but he’s still damn good on the offensive end.

Norm, Explosive: Norm Powell had a game for the ages, scoring 37 points on 14-21 shooting and 7-11 from three. He simply could not miss, especially in the 4th quarter, and was unstoppable despite solid Denver defense. Norm obviously won’t be this hot most nights, but the Clippers could really use him taking that many threes on a nightly basis, as he’s the only high-volume shooter on the team outside of Harden. Great stuff.

Role Players Stepping Up: While the three guys above were the stars of the show, Kris Dunn, Nic Batum, Derrick Jones Jr., and Amir Coffey were excellent on defense and generally made solid plays. The Clippers could not have won without them filling the gaps and getting stops, with Jones and Dunn also scoring 20 points between them.

Porter Jr. Off: Kevin Porter Jr. wasn’t the only disappointing Clipper in this one (Terance Mann was nearly invisible), but he was the most actively bad, as he went 2-10 from the field in 15 minutes and had 2 turnovers to 1 assist. He ended with a +8 because the Nuggets bench was awful and other Clippers stepped up, but this was another awful performance by Porter, who was forcing up difficult shots and not getting particularly close on them. The Clippers will probably stick with him for a bit, but a couple more games like this and the Clippers should go elsewhere.

Clippers Grab First Win of the 2025 Season, 109-104 in Denver
Robert Flom

I was not planning on writing a recap about this game, but I had some thoughts I wanted to get down, so here goes.

Notes

Starting Unit: Ty Lue ran out a somewhat unexpected starting unit of James Harden, Kris Dunn, Norm Powell, Derrick Jones Jr., and Ivica Zubac. Now, Kawhi Leonard was out with his knee, and Nic Batum did not play, so it’s hard to draw too much from it. However, Dunn getting the nod over Terance Mann was interesting, and while Dunn was very quiet on offense, his defense was as fantastic as expected. Harden and Zu both looked great, and Norm was sharp. Honestly, while there were still some very sloppy plays and bad turnovers, I thought it was an intriguing (if tiny) lineup. I can’t really see this being a starting group, but it might be something to watch for.

The Second Unit: Tonight, the second unit was Bones Hyland, Kevin Porter Jr., Terance Mann, Kobe Brown, and Kai Jones. And, honestly, it was rough. Hyland and Porter Jr. have some differing strengths (Bones is a better passer and long-range shooter, Porter a better pure scorer) but both have a tendency to overdribble and make bad decisions, and having both of them out there made the offense unpleasant to watch. Notably, the Bones-only third unit in the third quarter was much better and flowed more on offense. I just don’t think those two can play together. Brown played 27 minutes, the most of any Clipper by far, but did most of his damage in the 4th quarter. Terance did not stand out much but this is not his kind of game.

Little Amir: Amir Coffey did not play in the first half during the Clippers’ “real” rotations, which was interesting. There might not be too, too much to take from that, especially this early in preseason, but it was definitely notable.

Big Trouble: Kai Jones’ box score – 4 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks in 22 minutes – ended up looking pretty good. But I was very underwhelmed by him in this game. He plays very hard, which is nice, and the athleticism is clearly present. But he’s sloppy on the glass, his screens barely make contact, and his offensive skills outside of dunking are limited. It’s just one game and he’s barely played in a year, but this was not an encouraging outing for me.

Jordan Miller Impresses: Jordan Miller’s box score does not stand out – 6 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block in 18 minutes – but I thought his defense was fantastic and he showed some of the same downhill abilities that made him such a threat in Summer League. Just like with Kobe Brown, the outside shots will have to fall sooner or later if he’s going to stick in an NBA rotation, but the defense, transition scoring, and catch-and-go abilities make him someone I’d like to see the Clippers actually play this year.

Clippers Fall to Warriors 91-90 in First Preseason Game
Robert Flom

The Clippers improved to 3-0 in the 2024 Las Vegas Summer League with a 112-97 win over the Bucks.

Notes

Cam Christie

Christie had his most impactful game of Summer League thus far, scoring 13 points on 4-13 shooting with 3-10 from three. The three-point shooting might honestly be even better than expected – he can rise up and fire against almost anyone, and is clearly comfortable shooting a high volume per game. He can take threes off the catch, off movement, and even off the dribble, and at his height that makes him a real weapon. Literally everything else does not look quite NBA ready, but considering his age, this has been a nice Summer League for Christie.

Kobe Brown

This was also Kobe Brown’s best game this Summer League by a wide margin, as he had an extremely well-rounded statline of 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists in 29 minutes. The scoring efficiency still wasn’t great, but he was more aggressive on offense, which was nice. The size on the glass stood out, and Kobe had some legitimately great passes to generate open looks for others. Kobe’s defense is rough at times, but this was a standout example of his intriguing dribble-pass-shoot skillset.

Jordan Miller

The Clippers’ leading scorer once again, Miller put in 23 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks on 9-14 shooting, even with an abysmal 3-9 night at the free throw line. Free throws aside, Miller was a bit quieter on this one on offense until the final minute, when he scored 7 points in the last 30 seconds of the game to help boost the Clippers’ point differential. Still, Miller hit a couple great floaters, finished strong in transition, nailed two of his three 3s, and once again played excellent defense. There are nits to pick, but it’s been a fantastic Summer League for Jordan all the way around.

Moussa Diabate

What a game for Moussa. The big man had 21 points on 9-13 shooting while chipping in 8 rebounds and 3 assists, and was a boundless source of activity. Almost all of his buckets came in transition or on open looks around the rim, but he still finished strong and ran hard on the break to get great position. I’m still not convinced he can do enough on offense to really play in the NBA, but this is the template for him – defend, rebound, hustle, and finish those easy looks. Nice work!

Other Guys

It’s clear that the Clippers’ best two “other guys” on this team are RayJ Dennis and Elijah Harkless. Dennis continues to impress with his playmaking and overall steadiness at point guard. Nine points, 5 assists, and 3 steals is a nice statline, though I remain worried about his ability to score and be an offensive threat at the NBA level. Harkless is about as straightforward as it gets, a pesky on-ball defender at the point of attack who can hit open threes. At his size you’d wish he could do more with the ball in his hands, but I think his skillset is useful even if limited. Nobody else on the roster player much or stood out. I’ll just note Amari Bailey has been very disappointing, as he has a lot of talent and skill but horrible on-court decision-making.

2024 Summer League: Clippers vs Bucks Recap
Robert Flom

The Clippers won their second Summer League game with another strong defensive outing, beating the Nets 87-78.

Notes

Cam Christie

Another fairly quiet game for Christie, who drained two of his four threes but failed to make any of his four two-point attempts. The defense was a bit better in this one, but his non three-point shooting offense needs work, as he just can’t seem to handle physicality on drives or finishes yet. That will come with time, but he does not look like a ready NBA player. It’s ok for an 18 year old – I’d say Christie is more or less entirely as expected through two games.

Kobe Brown

This was again a mixed bag for Kobe Brown, who had 13 points on 5-7 shooting but also logged 4 turnovers and 6 fouls in 26 minutes. He clearly has a nice handle and offensive skillset for a guy his size, but is slow defending the perimeter which can lead to foul trouble. There are some really interesting flashes with Kobe, who is clearly a load to deal with inside and has some real handles for a big dude. It all won’t matter if he can’t stay on the court, however.

Jordan Miller

Jordan was once again by far the best and most impressive Clipper. The Nets made a concerted effort to not let him go off from three, with Miller taking only a single long ball (a tough contested look in transition that he nearly made) after draining six in the first SL game. However, Miller got to the line an incredible 13 times, and impressively made all of his free throws. Some of those came on bad defense but Jordan also demonstrated craftiness, control, and strength in getting to the rim. He also reversed his bd assist to turnover ratio from game one, making a couple very nice dimes. However, the most translatable part of Miller’s game remains defense, as his height, length, and quickness has made him a very tough opponent in Summer League. I think he should definitely be a solid if not well above average defender at the NBA level, and if you add in his shooting, cutting, and slashing I think a player around Amir Coffey’s level seems very reasonable. An excellent first two games for Miller, who is making a strong push for a full roster spot.

Moussa Diabate

Moussa played less than 17 minutes and barely at all in the second half. He wasn’t ruled out and there was no apparent injury, so maybe the Clippers just wanted to get a look at their other guys. He had a quiet box score with 2 points and 4 rebounds, but was second on the team in +/- with 14 and you could really feel his absence on defense. I wish the offense was further along but for an energy big man he was fine in this one. Still not a great showing for a 3^rd year guy though he also didn’t get a ton of opportunity in this one.

Other Guys

RayJ Dennis was again the “best of the rest” in this one, with 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists with three made triples. I like his playmaking feel and the shots were dropping, but am still a little wary about the scoring package against NBA defenses. Trevor Hudgins, the Clippers’ starter at point guard, was again quiet on offense, but I thought he had better playmaking reads this time around and remained very stout on defense for a small guard. Elijah Harkless had 10 points and was a pest on defense, so he had himself a nice game too. Amari Bailey scored 9 and clearly has a scoring package but the decision-making is very questionable. Nobody else stood out at for better or worse.

2024 Summer League, Clippers vs Nets Recap
Robert Flom

The Clippers won their first game of the Las Vegas 2024 Summer League 88-78 against the Nuggets in what was a fairly entertaining contest.

Player Notes

Cam Christie

Christie drained his first shot, a top of the arc three, and then went 2-11 the rest of the game and 1-7 from three. I’m glad he got so many shots up, and his three-point shot truly is effortless – I have no doubt those will fall given a larger sample size. Christie didn’t contribute a ton else in his 26 minutes, with 3 rebounds, and 2 assists, and got picked on a bit defensively by Julian Strawther. That said, there were no awful flubs either, and his only non-two bucket was on a beautiful cut. Not a bad debut.

Kobe Brown

This game was a bit of a mixed bag for Kobe. On one hand, he probably had the most well-rounded statline of any Clipper, with 13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block in 26:30. On the other, he was just 5-16 from the field and 0-7 from three, a pretty inefficient outing. Summer League is always a small sample size and tonight the shots just did not fall for Kobe. It is what it is. I’m glad he got the shots up. But I would like to see him be more forceful and aggressive inside the arc in the coming games. He’s bigger and stronger than most of his opponents and should act like it. When he played bully ball in this game, he usually got right to the rim. It wasn’t a great game, but it wasn’t awful either.

Jordan Miller

The star of the show, however, was Jordan Miller. The second-year wing was comfortable, confident, and was far more aggressive than last year’s Summer League. Millers scored 36 points on 11-18 shooting, 6-10 from three, and 8-8 from the line. The shooting was by far the most impressive element, as Miller was an inconsistent at best outside shooter coming out of Miami. He had two, no-dip threes from the corner ala Nic Batum or Klay Thompson, and shot a couple others off movement. He won’t always shoot this well, of course, but the shot was confident and smooth. Miller was also active and disruptive on defense, and played a big role in limiting Nuggets’ forward Hunter Tyson. Miller did have a few bad turnovers in the 4^th driving into traffic, but he was able to get to the rim and finish off second-side action, which is more in line with what he’d be doing in the NBA. A very impressive showing for Miller – if he even comes close to this the rest of Summer League, the Clippers should consider a full roster spot for him.

Moussa Diabate

I thought Moussa looked a bit bigger/stronger than he had over the past couple years, and that improved mass helped him in this game. Moussa put together an 11 point, 10 rebound performance, and had a couple nice dunks in traffic I don’t think he’d have been able to finish in years past. The box score only shows one assist, a gorgeous pass to a cutting Christie, but I think he had a couple other nice passes as well. The rebounding wasn’t dominant, but 10 boards in 26 minutes is solid work. The free throws looked a lot cleaner and more polished as well. Not an amazing showing for a third-year guy, but Moussa has clearly been working hard on his game.

Other Guys

I don’t think anyone else really, really stood out. Trevor Hudgins got the start at PG, and despite coming in as a shooter, failed to make any shots (though he was feisty on defense). His backup, RayJ Dennis, was quite good, with 7 rebounds and 8 assists in 20 minutes (and a plus/minus of 25) but did not flash any sort of scoring acumen. Elijah Harkles was energetic on defense and made two threes. Amari Bailey had a sick eurostep for a lay-in and a three but did nothing else. Terry Taylor had a nice drive and a couple solid boards. The less said about Josh Bannan the better. Dennis was the most impressive of the non-roster guys, but it’s a bit too early to say he’s really making a case for himself for an NBA roster spot.

2024 Summer League, Clippers vs Nuggets Recap
Robert Flom

The Clippers’ 2024 season, which had moments of such promise, ended tonight in the first round to the Dallas Mavericks, who outshot, outhustled, and outplayed the Clippers, 114-101.

Game Summary

The Clippers (shockingly starting PJ Tucker in place of Amir Coffey) started off the game looking like they did most of Game 5 – with no energy on either end or any discernible plan on offense. At the 7:32 mark, the Mavs led 13-6, and were able to grow their lead slightly in the next couple minutes, but not much because their own offense was cold. Still, it was 20-10, and the Mavs looked like they were going to pull away. Then, miraculously, the Clippers went on a 10-0 run spurred largely by PG and Hardn to tie the game. Things were still close late when the bench came in, with the score 25-24 at 2:02. From there, things fell apart, with a Russ-Amir-Mason unit looking terrible on both end, and a 9-2 Mavs run putting them up 34-26 after one.

Plumlee was thankfully exiled from the game for Zu, but Russ bricked an open corner three, and was pulled for Mann at the 11:30 mark. PG came back for Amir less than 30 seconds later. This unit, the starters with Norm instead of PJ Tucker, would play the entire rest of the quarter. And, after a couple rocky minutes, the Clippers really settled in. This was especially true on defense, where the Clippers rotated, did not foul, and forced Dallas turnovers. Their offense remained relatively ugly, but some Norm buckets helped them chip away at it. The Mavs’ drought continued, and the Clippers got closer and closer, until, finally, it was all tied at 48 at the 1:35 mark, with a 15-2 Clippers run. At half, the game was locked up at 52 apiece.

Somehow, someway, PJ started the 3^rd quarter again, and the Clippers looked terrible again. A swift 8-0 run by the Mavs forced a Ty timeout in less than two minutes. The Clippers’ offense finally started getting going, namely Harden and PG, but the Mavs were rolling now, and the lead continued to grow. At 7:10, Zu, who was looking tired, was pulled for Norm, with the Clippers going small. That didn’t do the trick, and the Mavs led by 14 just after the halfway point. Ty began to rotate guys in and out more quickly, staying small for a bit with Russ for PJ, then going back to Zu, and then bringing back Zu. Nothing really helped, with Kyrie going crazy and the Clippers offense not clicking. Going into the third quarter, the Mavs led 87-72.

The Clippers rolled out a unit of Harden, Norm, Amir, PG, and Zu, but they looked defeated. Kyrie immediately hit a three, and while Norm countered, the Mavs’ lead hit 20 at the 9:24 mark. Ty, in desperation, went to small ball, with Mann in for Zu. A minute later, PJ checked in for Amir. Predictably, the small ball units were not all that effective on offense and very bad on defense, and the lead hit 106-82 with 5:40 to go. Zu checked back for PG, of all people, and the Clippers went on a hilarious 13-2 run in 2:30 to force a Mavs timeout, 108-95 with 3:10 to go. George returned for Tucker, and the Clippers tried “hack-a-Lively” to no avail. The Mavs made their free throws, the Clippers missed threes, and the Clippers season ended 114-101.

Notes

Better Fight, Not Enough: This was a much, much better showing for the Clippers than Game 5, when they suffered their worst playoff loss in franchise, but was not nearly enough. Some of the deficiencies are just due to the Clippers playing without Kawhi, and having a very poor bench. But they gave up a ton of offensive rebounds, continued to let the Mavs’ physicality bother them on defense, and just looked too low on energy to start the game and 3^rd quarter. I want to shout out Ivica Zubac, Terance Mann, Norm Powell, and James Harden (in that descending order) for playing hard and really trying to win this game. The rest of the group, well..

Ty Lue, You Ok?: The Lakers fired Darvin Ham today, and Ty Lue was immediately linked as a candidate to replace him. Woj wrote an article that the Clippers are trying to sign Ty to an extension, and bring back PG and Harden. I think Ty, at the end of the day, is a good coach. But this was a bad series from him, by far the worst we’ve seen in a Clippers suit. Mason Plumlee, was, somehow, still his choice of backup center in the first half. He was a -7 in less than three minutes. PJ Tucker, who was out of the rotation for much of the year and is a non-threat on offense, started and played 20 minutes. I was advocating for a few minutes for PJ here or there, but not this. Somehow, Daniel Theis never got a minute of rotation play this series despite Plumlee’s play and the helplessness of the Clippers’ small-ball units. Nor did Bones Hyland, even in the midst of another terrible Russ (2-7 in 9 minutes) performance. Ty Lue is normally the tinkerer, but he really didn’t make almost any rotation adjustments in this series, and it was baffling. The Clippers’ offense just also never seemed to have any direction or strategy, from start to finish.

Missed Threes: I’m not excusing the loss on missing shots, but the Clippers were 8-31 from three, and 2-3 of those were by Tucker. They missed a ton of open looks all game from good shooters (PG was 2-10, Harden 0-6, and Norm 2-6) and sometimes those are the breaks. But the Clippers’ failure to create any kind of consistent offense can’t just be passed on an off shooting night.

Is This It for PG: This may have been Paul George’s last game in a Clippers jersey. The founding member of “213” had a better showing than Game 5, getting up 18 shots and scoring 18 points. But George was still, far, far too passive, settled for way too many threes instead of attacking, and was just “ok” on defense. There really just seemed to be a lack of urgency or fight for George in this elimination game, an all too common theme this series. PG will finish the six game series with one great game (4), one good game (1), one acceptable game (2), one bad game (6), and two all-time stinkers (3 and 5). That’s, uh, bad from a guy who wants a max contract this summer. Maybe PG is back, maybe he isn’t. But if it was his last game, what a sad note to end on.

Clippers Drop Game 6 to Mavs 114-101, Ending their 2024 Season
Robert Flom

The LA Clippers beat the Mavericks 116-111 in Dallas, evening up the series at 2-2 and regaining home court advantage. Without Kawhi, Paul George and James Harden carried the Clippers to a tough win. Check out our summary below:

Summary

The Clippers came out with purpose to start the game: Their halftime lead was mostly thanks to a 39 point first quarter, which was led by Paul George’s 16 points on 6/9 shooting (3/5 from three). He would finish the half with 26 points on 9/14 shooting (6/9 from three). Harden also got off to a hot start, adding 18 points on 6/8 shooting (4/4) from three. But what was once a 31 point lead was down to just 17 at the half, as Kyrie Irving went on a run to end the second quarter.

The lead continued to wane throughout the third quarter. The Mavericks played with more intensity, especially on defense, which led to the Clippers scoring just 16 in the frame. The Dallas offense was, again, led by Kyrie, who had 10 points in the third quarter, whereas PG and Harden combined for just two.

The Clippers, who went into the fourth quarter up by just four, showed some level of resistance, pushing their lead to 11 by the eight minute mark. Interestingly, it was Powell and Plumlee who did the damage; in fact, Plumlee had a team high +12 plus-minus in his 14 minutes. Of course, that does not mean he was the Clippers’ best player, but I do think he added a different dynamic, which was needed as the Clippers’ offense was mostly stale in the second half.

But the Clippers could not avoid a dramatic ending. The Clippers’ 11 point lead was gone within three basketball minutes and the game was tied at 98 with five minutes remaining. Then, the game basically became a Harden versus Kyrie showdown: Harden scored 13 of the Clippers’ final 18 points with floater over floater (and a few free throws), while Kyrie had 11 of the Mavs’ final 13. Paul George was the only other Clipper to score in the final five minutes, making two free throws and probably hitting the shot of the night—a contested three, deep in the corner, as the shot clock expired to put the Clippers up two with two minutes left.

Much like Game 1, the Clippers came out hot and moved the ball well, only to give all the momentum back to Dallas as the game went on. But, like then, the Clippers were able to close it out. Maybe the mid-day games are not so bad after all? Either way, it’s 2-2, heading back to LA.

Notes

Vintage Harden: In our preview, we highlighted Harden’s play but today was another level: 33 points on 12/17 shooting, seven assists, a steal and a block in 40 minutes. Interestingly, he only shot one three in the second half (which he missed). Instead, as noted, he started getting down hill and punishing the Mavericks for playing without a rim protector.

The Paul George Experience: After scoring just seven points in Game 3, Paul George went nuclear to start this game. But, in the second half, he only took five shots—of which he hit two—despite playing the full 24 minutes. He was also 2/5 from the free throw line in the second half, which made the end of this game just that much more dramatic. He will get a pass because he was largely responsible for the Clippers’ lead and he hit a huge shot in the clutch, but the Clippers need to figure out how to counter the Mavs’ second half defensive adjustments and get PG catching the ball in scoring positions.

The Luka Experience: Luka has likewise had an interesting series so far. He is getting his points, but he is shooting just 37.7% from the field and 30% from three. Those splits are down from 48% and 38% during the regular season. The Clippers have played Luka so much that it is possible the Clippers have the coverages down enough to limit Luka. But it also looks like Luka is hurt. He was listed as Questionable before this game, and he was pulled at moments in the fourth, presumably for offense/defense substitutions (he did play 45 minutes, though). Moreover, Luka was deferring to Kyrie a lot down the stretch. This might be something to watch as the series goes on.

That does it for our Game 4 recap. The Clippers’ did well to even the series at 2-2, but the puzzle clearly has not been solved. They will likely have to win in a different way on Wednesday in LA.

Clippers vs. Mavericks Game 4 Recap: Evened Up at 2-2
Kenneth Armstrong

The Clippers fell behind to the Mavs 2-1 in a miserable, embarrassing, uncomposed performance that was a disaster in a number of ways.

Summary

The game started off similarly to the first two games, with neither team able to get much of a flow on offense. Ivica Zubac remained the main man on offense, scoring six early points for the Clippers, but in a change Daniel Gafford matched him with six points of his own, all on dunks. Russ came in for Kawhi around the 6 minute mark with the Clippers up 14-12, and the bench began to trickle in. The game got very ugly with lots of fouls and questionable calls, and both team’s offenses stalled. A Harden buzzer-beating three got the Clippers up 23-18 after one, a nice finish to a hideous quarter.

The Clippers started the 2^nd quarter, oddly, with Harden-Russ-Norm-Amir-Mason. Even more oddly, the lineup actually grew the Clippers’ lead a bit, even with Mason dragging them down, largely because of Harden, who hit three stepback threes in a manner of minutes. The Clippers led 32-25 when Russ fouled Josh Green hard in transition, picking up a flagrant one. PG came back in for Russ but almost immediately picked up his 3^rd foul. Kawhi and Zu finally returned, but the momentum had shifted. Nobody on the Clippers outside of Harden could do anything on offense, while the Mavs’ offense, led by Luka, began to hum. The Mavs got dunk after dunk, with only occasional Clippers responses. Kawhi looked slow and injured, and was taken out at the 3 minute mark with the Mavs up 47-39. The wheels continued to come off, and the Mavs led 54-41 at halftime, but the lead felt like 30 instead of 13. Harden had 14 and 3, Zu had 10, and no other Clipper was even remotely a positive impact guy in totality outside of maybe Norm (8 points on shots but with some wide open misses).

The Clippers’ offense remained totally stuck in the mud to start the 3^rd, with the Mavs’ lead not growing significantly mostly because Kyrie and Luka couldn’t hit their shots. PG picked up his 4^th foul at the 8:57 mark but stayed in. It didn’t matter. While PG began to find his stride slightly as the quarter went along with the ball in his hands, this meant Harden didn’t touch the ball much, which is ultimately a bad thing for this Clippers’ offense. The Clippers finally got some slight momentum towards the end of the period, getting the lead to as little as seven, but Kyrie went off to close against a small Clippers unit, and the Mavs pushed their lead back to 11, 78-67. Still the Clippers won the quarter by 2 and could theoretically have pulled off a win….

Except the 4^th quarter happened. The Clippers started out with a Harden-Norm-Amir-PG-Zu lineup, all well enough and good. Except PG smoked a layup and then almost immediately committed his 5^th foul. Kawhi checked in for Amir, but the turnovers continued. The Mavs’ lead grew as Ty Lue cycled guys in and out to find a good unit and couldn’t. The offense, in particular, was a chore, with turnovers and clanked jumpers the order of the day. The Mavs outworked the Clippers, looking more athletic, energetic, and focused. Multiple Clippers jawed at PJ Washington, their nerves unraveling, and frustration grew. The whole saga culminated in Washington and Russ shoving each other and earning dual ejections at the 6:10 mark with the Mavs up 91-75. The Clippers kept fighting for another few minutes but failed to make headway, and the plug was mercifully pulled with three minutes to go.

Notes

Kawhi, Unhealthy: This game was maybe not the worst possible outcome for Kawhi Leonard but it was certainly in the bottom 10%. Kawhi played 25 minutes, took just seven shots, and never made much of an impact on either end, mostly just acting as a decoy on offense and guarding shooters on defense. He clearly wants to be out there for his teammates and is frustrated his knee isn’t feeling better, but it’s also clear he’s not close to 100% and actually looked much worse in this game than he did in Game 2. The human body is tricky, and it’s possible Kawhi feels better suddenly in the next few days, but it seems unlikely. If he’s at this level, or even at Game 2 level, the Clippers aren’t going to win the series, and would honestly probably be better off not playing Kawhi to add more clarity to their lineups and rotations.

PG, Invisible: For as bad as Kawhi was, he at least had the excuse of bad health. There is no such excuse for Paul George, who was equally as unimpactful as Kawhi (outside of maybe a brief 3-4 minute stretch in the 3^rd quarter). George was in foul trouble the entire game, messing up the Clippers’ rotations as James Harden had to play extra minutes to carry the bench. When he did play, he was indecisive on offense, settling for jumpers or getting flummoxed at the rim. His defense was fine, but he elected to mostly guard the Mavs’ role players, as he was in foul trouble. Seven points on 3-11 shooting in 30 minutes is an unacceptable line for a star player who wants a max or near-max contract, even with a handful of rebounds and assists. If PG doesn’t come out with a very good Game 4, this series will start to go down as an all-time black mark for a player of his caliber.

Russ, Out of Control: Look, I love Russ’s energy. I appreciate his heart and passion. I understand his frustration with heckling fans. But as a 16-year veteran, he has to be smarter than he was tonight. He has to stay under control and not have reckless flagrants and techs. He needs to attack the rim on offense instead of settling for jumpers that defenses are giving him. He has to be a steady hand running the offense when Harden needs a breather. His on-ball defense was great tonight, but everything else was a disaster, with 1 point on 0-7 shooting and 2 turnovers to 1 assist being a simply horrific offensive performance. Russ is not a star anymore, but the Clippers need him to be better than he was tonight.

Harden and Zu, Showing Up: James Harden and Ivica Zubac have been BY FAR the Clippers’ best two players in this series, a truly stunning development. While Harden had 5 turnovers to 5 assists and was a bit passive in the 2^nd half, he also played 44 minutes, getting just a single minute of rest before garbage time due to Kawhi’s health and PG’s foul trouble. His threes in the 2^nd quarter got the Clippers their largest lead, and he was the only guy able to get downhill consistently. And big Zu had 19 and 8 on 8-11 shooting and seems to be propping the Clippers’ defense up nearly single-handedly. Far from being played off the court, he has been vital to the Clippers on both ends with his paint scoring, rim protection, and rebounding. If only the rest of the team could give Harden and Zu some support, they might have a lead in this series.

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