NBA regular season continues to play, the Clippers lost 86-122 to the Spurs on the road, ending their 3-game winning streak. In this game, the Clippers started off in a terrible state, with their offense repeatedly failing and a very low success rate under the basket. The Spurs took advantage of the Clippers' physical issues from back-to-back games, frequently pushing counterattacks and speeding up. By the end of the first quarter, the Clippers were already trailing by 14 points at 17-31. In the second quarter, although the Clippers' offense improved somewhat, they still couldn't stop the Spurs' momentum, scoring 26-32 in the quarter, and by halftime, the Clippers were down by 20 points. In the second half, the Clippers remained passive on both offense and defense. By the middle of the third quarter, their deficit had exceeded 25 points. In the latter half of the third quarter, Tyronn Lue began to bring in third-string substitutes one after another, and the entire fourth quarter turned into garbage time, with the point difference growing larger and larger, ultimately resulting in a disaster. After the loss, the Clippers' record stands at 19 wins and 14 losses. So where exactly did they lose in this game? Perhaps the data can give us some answers.
Harden shot 11 for 5, made 2 out of 6 three-pointers, and 5 out of 6 free throws, scoring 17 points with 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, and 5 turnovers. Today, Harden's personal offensive performance was actually quite good, especially in the first quarter when the whole team couldn't find their rhythm, Harden scored 13 points alone, with very high efficiency. However, there was nothing he could do as his teammates couldn't open up the game and lacked vitality. On one hand, it was difficult to create opportunities, and on the other hand, even if some opportunities appeared, the chances of seizing them were not high. Once Harden's passes weren't converted into scores by his teammates, the Clippers' offense would collapse. Additionally, Harden himself was also exhausted. Honestly speaking, Harden bears little responsibility for today's crushing defeat.
Zubac shot 7 for 2 and made 1 out of 2 free throws, scoring only 5 points with 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 turnover. Today, Zubac was completely overwhelmed, with no defensive threat under the basket and headstrong on the offensive end, getting blocked multiple times. Crucially, Zubac couldn't deal with Wembanyama, and when facing Collins, he couldn't open up the game offensively and was scored on several 2+1s defensively. Honestly, his performance on the court was disastrous. If Zubac is in this state, it will be difficult for the Clippers to compete against their opponents.
Powell shot 12 for 4, made 3 out of 10 three-pointers, and 4 out of 4 free throws, scoring 15 points with 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 turnover. Today, Powell tried his best, despite his low shooting efficiency. When the Clippers were in trouble, Powell still dared to fight, making multiple drives to the basket and creating damage. As a shooter, Powell's physical condition was also affected by the continuous away games and back-to-back schedule. He dared to break through multiple times, showing that his desire to win was still strong.
Little Derrick Jones shot 5 for 2, made 1 out of 3 three-pointers, and 1 out of 2 free throws, scoring 6 points with 2 rebounds and 1 turnover. His performance can only be described as average. Today, Little Jones also seemed lacking in energy, with few opportunities, and crucially, he couldn't seize the opportunities when they arose. He wasn't reliable on the offensive end, and defensively, facing an overall aggressive Spurs team, Little Jones had few options.
Dunn shot 6 for 3 and made 1 out of 3 three-pointers, scoring 7 points with 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 turnover. In today's situation, Dunn's influence was minimal. His problems were similar to Little Jones', being a role player who can only defend but not attack. In a situation where the team needs to open up the offense, he basically has no effect, and defensively, he can't stop the opponent's momentum, making his on-court influence very awkward.
Among the bench players, Coffey shot 8 for 3 and made 1 out of 3 three-pointers, scoring 7 points with 2 rebounds and 1 steal, which was a decent performance. Little Kevin Porter shot 6 for 1 and missed all 2 three-point attempts, scoring only 2 points with 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 turnover. His choices on the court were confusing, repeatedly challenging Wembanyama, either missing shots or getting blocked, showing too much stubbornness.
Among the remaining bench role players, Bamba shot 4 for 1 and missed all 3 three-point attempts, scoring only 2 points with 2 rebounds and 1 assist. Honestly, he wasn't useful, with limited playing time. Batum didn't make any significant contributions today either, and the rest of the role players only got playing time during garbage time. Overall, the Clippers' bench performed quite average today, but in this crushing defeat, the whole team played poorly, exposing their physical issues.