Today, the Clippers without Harden faced off against the Thunder, who had already won 12 consecutive games before the match. In the first half, the Thunder did not perform well, perhaps due to the common occurrence of underestimating their opponent when a strong team faces a "weak" one. At halftime, the Clippers were still in the lead.
However, at the start of the third quarter, the Thunder launched an offensive spree with a 17-5 run. The third quarter alone saw them score 42 points to the Clippers' 20, winning the quarter by a margin of 22 points. Ultimately, the Thunder secured a decisive victory over the Clippers with a final score of 116-98, achieving their 13th consecutive win and setting a new team record for consecutive victories!
In all honesty, given the Clippers' lineup today, if they were able to defeat the Thunder, the latter should give up their status as the top team in the West. Some people previously claimed that with Chet's injury, the Thunder would be finished. However, they have Harten! In today's game, Harten played for 23 minutes, shooting 5 out of 9 attempts, scoring 11 points, grabbing 9 rebounds, and dishing out 6 assists. The depth of the Thunder's roster is truly enviable. With both depth and star power, they have a perfect roster structure.
Now, what level does Shai Gilgeous-Alexander occupy in the NBA? MVP material, perhaps?! In today's game, Alexander played three quarters, shooting 9 out of 17 attempts, making 2 out of 5 three-pointers, and converting all 9 free throws, accumulating 29 points, 3 rebounds, and 8 assists. Defenders facing Alexander seem somewhat at a loss. Just today, Alexander was awarded the Western Conference Player of the Month for December. If the Thunder can conclude the regular season as the top team in the West this year, it is highly likely that Alexander could win the regular-season MVP award. I estimate a 99.9% possibility! Did you expect Alexander to be the first breakout star from the 2018 draft class?
What is the quality of this draft class? This season, Alexander is averaging 31.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 6 assists, with a shooting percentage of 52.8%. This marks the third consecutive season that Alexander has achieved an average of over 30 points with a shooting percentage exceeding 50%. Only two guards in history have reached this milestone—do you know who the other one is? Yes, the legendary Michael Jordan! Regardless, the value of this trade continues to rise!
It's time to discuss the importance of Harden to the Clippers! Seriously, without Harden, today's Clippers seem to be on par with the Jazz. Of course, no one misses Harden more than Powell! When Harden is on the court to draw defenders, Powell averages 24.3 points as the most improved player. This season, Powell's average scoring is even higher than Curry's! Can you believe it? Curry only averages 22 points! In the first round of All-Star voting, Powell even made it into the top ten for Western Conference backcourt players.
However, without Harden today, Powell shot 1 out of 11 attempts, missed all 5 three-point attempts, scored 6 points, grabbed 1 rebound, and provided 2 assists, while also committing 6 turnovers. Did his true form show? When he was substituted out in the third quarter, looking at Powell's expression, it seemed like he was about to break down. Powell did not score any field goals in the first three quarters, missing all 9 attempts and all 4 three-point attempts, only scoring 4 points through free throws. He finally made a mid-range shot in the fourth quarter after missing 10 consecutive shots, which was his only field goal of the day. It feels like Powell's real challenge lies ahead...
According to previous rumors, Leonard is expected to return in the next game, which is the home game against the Hawks on January 5th. Powell's data increase this season largely depends on the increase in shot attempts, with Leonard's absence and George's departure providing him with opportunities. Will Powell still have such opportunities after Leonard returns? Fast boat fans must be very entangled now! They hope Leonard returns quickly but are afraid that after his return, the Clippers will perform worse than they are now, which would be truly tragic.
