Clippers Win Big by 26 Points! Harden Scores 10+2+15, After the Game, Leonard Enters the Court to Celebrate Victory with Teammates
Beijing time, the NBA regular season Clippers hosted the Hawks at home.
The Clippers' starting lineup today is Harden, Dunn, Powell, Leonard, Zubac.
The Hawks' starting lineup is Trae Young, Daniels, Krajicek, Lissaj, Capela.
Leonard made his season debut after a long absence due to injury. It's hard to say how he will perform in his first game back.
However, as long as Leonard returns, it is believed that the Clippers' record will continue to improve.
The Hawks just had a tough game against the Lakers yesterday, and today they are playing their second game in as many nights, which may lead to some fatigue for the players, which could be an advantage for the Clippers.
At the start of the first quarter, how is Leonard performing? He caused turnovers on defense and hit a three-pointer on offense, even while being guarded closely by the opponent. It seems that both offensively and defensively, he is back at full strength.
The two teams played back and forth in the first quarter, with the Clippers taking a slight lead at one point, but the Hawks were able to respond in time and reduce the gap, preventing the Clippers from gaining momentum.
At the end of the first quarter, the Clippers led the Hawks 29-28 by a single point.
However, in the second quarter, the situation changed dramatically. After a brief struggle between the two teams, the Clippers began to dominate on both ends of the court, launching wave after wave of attacks and making steal after steal.
The Clippers' defense has been extremely strong this season, and now with Leonard's return, it has reached new heights.
The Hawks were completely overwhelmed, unable to keep up with the Clippers today, despite being able to compete with the Lakers yesterday. Of course, fatigue is a significant factor.
The Clippers once held a 27-point lead, and in the last two minutes of this quarter, their offensive momentum slowed down, allowing the Hawks to seize the opportunity to slightly reduce the gap.
At halftime, the Clippers led the Hawks 74-54 by 20 points.
Powell contributed 17 points and 4 rebounds in the first half, Harden had 2 points, 13 assists, and 2 steals, Leonard scored 9 points and 3 rebounds, Zubac had 8 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists, Jones scored 12 points and 3 rebounds, and Porter added 7 points and 3 assists.
On the Hawks' side, Trae Young had 12 points and 10 assists, Matthews scored 12 points and 2 rebounds, Capela had 4 points and 6 rebounds, Lissaj scored 9 points and 2 rebounds, Krajicek added 3 points and 1 assist, and Hunter contributed 8 points and 2 rebounds.
In the third quarter, the Hawks began to fight back in earnest, with Trae Young hitting consecutive long-range threes to help his team narrow the gap.
The Hawks once reduced the gap to 15 points, and Harden started a personal show, scoring three-pointers and hook shots under the basket, adding 7 points in a row, his shooting touch warming up, helping the team stabilize the situation and withstand the Hawks' counterattack.
After Mann came off the bench, he also had an impressive performance. Despite missing a significant amount of time due to injury, Mann showed great form upon his return, even hitting a trailing three-pointer and making an eye-catching behind-the-back pass.
At the end of the third quarter, the Clippers led the Hawks 98-76 by 22 points.
In the fourth quarter, Harden and Leonard rested on the sidelines, while Zubac wreaked havoc on the court, transforming into Shaquille O'Neal.
The Hawks could only lament their misfortune, as they tried to reduce the gap but were not up to the task, even missing uncontested layups.
Powell then hit a three-pointer, showing no mercy.
With just over five minutes left in the game, Coach Lue made the first substitution, replacing the starters with bench players like Hurland.
Ultimately, the Clippers defeated the Hawks 131-105, winning by 26 points.
For the Clippers, Harden scored 10 points, 2 rebounds, and 15 assists, Leonard had 12 points and 3 rebounds, Zubac contributed 18 points, 18 rebounds, and 4 assists, Powell scored 20 points and 4 rebounds, Coffey added 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists, Little Jones had 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals, Porter scored 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists, Mann added 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists, Dunn scored 2 points and 3 rebounds, and Batum contributed 4 points.
For the Hawks, Trae Young had 20 points, 14 assists, and 4 rebounds, Hunter scored 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists, Matthews added 15 points and 8 rebounds, Lissaj had 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists, Capela scored 6 points and 7 rebounds, Krajicek added 9 points and 2 rebounds, Rody contributed 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists, and Daniels scored 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals.
After the game ended, Leonard walked onto the court to celebrate the victory with his teammates, clapping hands with them, and then went to the sideline to be interviewed by the media.