Summary

The Clippers started the game off slow. They were clearly trying – it wasn’t an effort issue, as it has been at times this year – but they just weren’t executing as sharply as they have been recently. This was especially obvious on the defensive end, where the Clippers looked helpless to stop Tobias Harris and Shake Milton. Harris was one thing, but Milton’s scorching hot start catapulted the Sixers to an early double-digit lead. Spoiler: he never cooled off. With the starters flagging, Doc Rivers turned to the bench, and as they have of late, the reserves stepped up. Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell did their thing, Reggie Jackson added some verve, and JaMychal Green brought the toughness. The Clippers cut into the deficit, and faced a manageable five-point margin going to the second quarter.

The Clippers reserves continued their strong play, and briefly tied the game, but then the Sixers came roaring back. The culprit, again, was Milton, who drained threes, got to the basket, and drew fouls, scoring in all variety of ways to torch the Clips. The Sixers regained the advantage, yet weren’t able to pull away due to the scoring prowess of Paul George. PG kept his hot shooting going, nailing several tough threes and keeping the Clippers afloat while Kawhi remained quiet. Even with Milton’s ridiculous shooting, the Clippers trailed by only two entering halftime.

The Sixers started off the third just as hot as they had been previously, and fans’ hopes of a quick turnaround faded. Milton scored, Al Horford drained a three, and the Clippers were fouling too much. Once again, however, the bench saved the day. Lou, Jackson, and Trez came in with energy on both ends, finally forcing some stops and getting out in transition. Then, Lou took over on the offensive end, scoring or playmaking to get the Clippers buckets and eventually gain the lead. Once the Clippers had the advantage, they didn’t relent, continuing to attack the defensively-weak Sixers while pressuring their offense. The Clippers’ lead swelled to double digits, and the Clippers had the game won.

Of course, there was another quarter to be played, but the Clippers never seemed close to losing the game again, even when the Sixers made a run to cut the deficit to four. Kawhi and Lou were in the zone, and on the rare occasions when they did miss, Montrezl was right there for the offensive rebounds and putbacks. Things were a little closer than they should have been, as the defense slacked off somewhat, but the Clippers held on for the 136-130 victory.

 Notes

Shake, Rattle, and Roll: The story of the game was Shake Milton, the unheralded second-year player from SMU who set a new career high in scoring with 39 points. Milton hit 14 of 20 shots, 7 of 9 three pointers, and 4 of his 5 free throws for a simply absurd scoring performance. If anything, he was actually better than those numbers would display, consistently shaking (heh) free of Clippers’ defenders and draining tough shots. The Clippers just could not stop him except for brief stretches, and are lucky he didn’t have more help (and that the Sixers were missing over half their starters once Josh Richardson exited the game). This was a special performance, and it was extremely fun to watch it play out. He obviously won’t be this good every game, but the shooting and ball-handling seems for real, and he could be a huge boon for the Sixers down the stretch.

Throwback Clippers Bench: While Paul George and Kawhi Leonard played fairly well (especially George), the starting unit has a whole was not particularly good, with the other three starters combining for only 13 points and playing middling defense. Therefore, as we’ve seen so often over the past couple years, the bench had to save the day, and save the day they did! Lou Williams dazzled as a scorer and playmaker, scoring 24 points on 12 shots while dishing out 8 assists, and made the most of his time off-ball alongside Jackson. Montrezl Harrell had 24 points on 13 shots and pulled in 9 rebounds, and while his defense was still up-and-down, the energy and passion on display was constant throughout, and allowed him to make some huge plays. Jackson, JaMychal Green, and Landry Shamet filled in the gaps by playing well defensively, moving the ball, and hitting shots when called upon. It was a great performance as a unit, and one that has now carried over for several games. The addition of Jackson has been huge thus far, and he’s unlocked Lou in particular in a way that is refreshing to see.

Tobias Harris and Mike Scott Return: Both Tobias Harris and Mike Scott received tribute videos in the 1^st quarter, with Harris getting (rightfully so) the somewhat longer billing. And, fittingly, both guys played well, probably being the Sixers’ 2^nd and 3^rd best players behind Milton. Harris scored 25 points, most of them coming in that opening quarter, and made some nice drives to the basket. Scott drained several threes, which helped the Sixers make their early 3^rd quarter run. It was great to see both guys again, and hopefully they continue to play well for the Sixers down the stretch.

The Road Ahead: Well, the Clippers have now won four games in a row, but might be entering the most difficult three-game stretch of the season. They first head to OKC to take on the sizzling Thunder on Tuesday night, then make their way to Houston to face the even hotter Rockets in a nationally televised game on Thursday. The Clippers will then head back home, but will square off against the Lakers in a game that the Lakers will be eager to win considering their two earlier losses. A 2-1 record in this stretch would be great; 3-0 would be absolutely phenomenal. Buckle up!

Clippers Overcome Shake Milton’s Career Night, Beat Sixers 136-130
Robert Flom

Game Information

Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

When: 12:30 PM PT

How to Watch/Listen: ABC, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Sixers: Shake Milton – Josh Richardson – Glenn Robinson III – Tobias Harris – Al Horford

Clippers: Patrick Beverley – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Marcus Morris – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Sixers: Joel Embiid Out (Shoulder), Ben Simmons Out (Back)

Clippers: None

The Big Picture

The Clippers have won three games in a row, balancing their three-game losing streak, and have played their best basketball in weeks along the way. The return of Pat Beverley and Paul George has rejuvenated the Clips, especially on the defensive end of the court. New addition Reggie Jackson has been fantastic, adding pace, shooting, slashing, and some defense to the Clippers’ reserve unit. Ivica Zubac continues to develop into an excellent defensive center, and is finally getting rewarded with additional minutes. And, of course, Kawhi Leonard is playing like an MVP candidate, demonstrating with each game played that he’s one of the top players in the NBA. The Clippers have not faced much a challenge the past few games, but their energy, execution, and effort has been impressive nonetheless.

The Antagonist

I predicted the Sixers would win the NBA Championship before the season. This was not an uncommon opinion amongst NBA fans and pundits (though not the most popular choice, certainly), but it sure looks rough 2/3 of the way through the season. They’re 5^th in the East currently and would need a lot of things to go right to claim a top three seed. Making matters far, far worse, their two franchise cornerstones and best players, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, will miss the several weeks with injuries. Their timelines do give Simmons and Embiid time to get healthy before the playoffs, but Simmons in particular has a more open-ended recovery timetable that could put the postseason in risk. If they aren’t healthy for a playoff run, the Sixers’ season will end much sooner than expected. The Sixers do have other talented players, but none of them are stars, and Al Horford has had an especially disappointing season. It’s just been a rollercoaster of a season, and the ride is only going to get crazier before the end.

Notes

Tobias Harris Returns: It’s been well over a year now since Tobias Harris was traded to Philadelphia. Since then he lived through the Sixers Jimmy Butler era, got his bag with a max contract, and seen the ups and downs of this season. Throughout it all, he’s played at a very nice clip, averaging 19.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game on pretty good efficiency. His defense has noticeably stepped up, and he’s also made some improvements as a passer. Unfortunately, his inability to consistently create his own offense has not been resolved, and that deficiency has frustrated Sixers fans. He’s certainly not worth the max contract he received, but he’s a very good player. Harris was only a member of the Clippers for around a year, but he gave the team some memorable moments and excellent performances, and he should hopefully get a nice ovation this afternoon.

Struggling Al: Many Clippers fans wanted Al Horford last summer, and at the time he seemed like a wonderful fit. However, the Sixers got him instead, and it looks like the Clips dodged a bullet. Horford is averaging the lowest points per game average since his sophomore year, lowest rebounding numbers of his career, and by far a career worst in shooting percentage. Even his defense has taken a step back this year, though he’s still good on that end. More importantly, he’s immediately proven to be a poor fit with Simmons and Embiid, a very bad sign considering he’s signed for three years after this and is already 33 with a ton of miles. Horford has consistently torched the Clippers, but this appears to be a very different Al.

New Additions: The Clippers aren’t the only team with trade deadline additions. The Sixers made moves as well, bringing in Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III, who did face off against the Clippers a couple weeks ago in the previous meeting. Neither has adapted to their new team well, with Robinson not hitting a single three so far (which means he probably hits several today) while Burks is shooting under 40% from the field and 30% from three. Those two were brought in to shoot and score, and neither has done so well thus far. There is time for them to sort things out, but it has not been a good start.

Follow along here or on the forum to comment about the game!

Clippers vs. Sixers Preview: Can Battered Sixers Steal One in LA?
Robert Flom

Game Information

Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

When: 4:00 PM PT

How to Watch/Listen: TNT, Fox Sports Prime Ticket, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: Landry Shamet – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Marcus Morris – Ivica Zubac

Sixers: Ben Simmons – Josh Richardson – Tobias Harris – Al Horford – Joel Embiid

Injuries

Clippers: Patrick Beverley Out (Groin)

Sixers: None

The Big Picture

The Clippers continue to mostly take steps forward in February. While they lost badly to the Timberwolves on Saturday, they bounced right back and trounced the Cavs Sunday even without Kawhi Leonard and Pat Beverley. When the team looks right it looks good, capable of devastating opposing teams in many different facets of the game. There have been stretches where the Clips have looked terrifying this season, where they’ve locked in on both sides of the court and trounced their opponents. Unfortunately, such stretches have been interrupted by bouts of uninspired or sloppy play, which have resulted in a handful of losses to far inferior teams. Still, when the Clips try hard, they mostly look great.

The Antagonist

The Sixers have had an extremely odd season. Considered one of the favorites to win the championship before the season started, the Sixers have been very up and down (much like the Clippers), mixing in impressive wins with baffling losses (ring a bell?). Philadelphia, for all the complaints about stagnant offense, chemistry issues, and overpaid players, is a monstrous 24-2 at home, the best home record in the NBA, and is a fearsome opponent on a game-to-game basis. Yes, the offense is middling bordering on ugly and depressing. Yes, Joel Embiid doesn’t seem to be having fun this year. Yes, Al Horford is looking somewhat washed. And yes, Ben Simmons remains a coward who refuses to shoot threes. However… the Sixers are huge, and perhaps no teams looks as good defensively as they do when they’re locked in and rotating well. It remains to be seen what this team can do in the playoffs, but the talent level is extremely high, and Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III should help quite a bit.

Notes

Guarding Embiid: Embiid has had his way with the Clippers since he entered the NBA. In his four games against the Clips, Joel has averaged 32.5 points and 16 rebounds per game, his highest average for either stat against any team in the NBA. Ivica Zubac has taken a huge leap forward as an interior defender this season, but he’s still undersized compared to Embiid, and it will be interesting to see how the Clippers handle him. It’s possible Zu starts off in one on one coverage, but I’d guess the Clippers throw a lot of double teams and aggressive traps at Embiid throughout the game to get the ball out of his hands. Even though Embiid isn’t always the most efficient player, he’s definitely the most overpowering presence on the Sixers team, and forcing someone else to carry the scoring burden is usually the best tactic.

Kawhi Returns to Philly: The last time Kawhi Leonard played in Philadelphia, it was the Second Round of the NBA Playoffs, and the Raptors were embroiled in a fierce contest against the Sixers. We all know how that series ended, of course – with one of the most instantly iconic shots in NBA history, made by none other than the Board Man. With that shot, Kawhi became a hero in Toronto forever, while serving as a villain in Philadelphia. He’s likely to receive heavy boos tonight, but that should only act as an inspiration – if I were to guess, I think Kawhi has a big game against his old foe.

Tobias Harris Plays Against Clips for First Time: Tobias Harris was a big part of the Clippers over the 2018-2019 seasons, and was involved in two huge trades that helped get the Clippers to where they are today. While the Clippers liked Tobias, they didn’t want to pay him the contract that he was set to receive last summer – and it’s looking very smart to have been on that side of the fence. While Tobias is legitimately very good, he’s not a max player (he’s unlikely to ever make an All Star game), and the Sixers paying him like one is already weighing them down. He was a fun, good, and likable player without whom the Clippers would not have made their run last year, and it will be good to see him again, even on the road. Tobias will have something to prove as well, and he could be in attack mode tonight too.

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Clippers vs. Sixers Preview: Two Inconsistent Championship Hopefuls Square Off
Robert Flom