Big Brother Won't Hit Me Anymore? Leonard Leaves Before the Game, Clippers Tank Together! Westbrook Mocks Face-to-Face, Harden Suffers
On January 9th, Beijing time, Westbrook had his strongest game yet, exploding for 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists in three quarters to crush the Clippers. His most domineering move mocked his old team and humiliated Harden.
The Los Angeles Clippers faced a weakened Nuggets team without Jokic and were surprisingly blown out, even more so by their two former players. Both Westbrook and Jordan played their most classic games of the season, although Westbrook didn't get a triple-double, he and Jordan were too fierce.
Jordan started at center and incredibly scored 12 points with 9 rebounds and 2 assists, performing various alley-oop dunks that felt like a dream from over ten years ago. In 2015, Jordan played this way for the Clippers, and he can still do it now. It's unclear what the Clippers were defending against, but more importantly, Westbrook dominated Harden in their matchup.
Westbrook already had 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists on 8-of-16 shooting after three quarters, directly making Harden check out early. Harden only managed 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists, with a shooting percentage of 5-for-15. He was outperformed by Westbrook in efficiency, scoring, rebounding, and assists, and even had more turnovers. Westbrook only had 3 turnovers upon entering the game, while Harden had a total of 5. Both were starters and primary ball handlers, and it was clear who played better and who played worse.
In the third quarter, Westbrook vented his frustration by brutally attacking Powell. He posted up against Kobe Powell inside and pushed him aside to score a 2+1. After the shot went in, Westbrook made a rocking baby gesture towards the camera, wildly mocking and humiliating the Clippers. With this move, you could see Westbrook getting excited, and finally, he began to laugh and acknowledge the spectators on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, the Clippers looked lifeless and gloomy. Westbrook's mocking gesture was too domineering, and after watching this play, you would realize that the Clippers had no mood to play anymore. It was obvious they weren't willing to fight hard against the Nuggets. Sure enough, after the third quarter ended, Coach Lue surrendered and replaced the starters with full substitutes, signaling complete defeat. Jokic wasn't even there, and they were facing a weakened Nuggets team that had just fought fiercely against the Celtics. Is it normal to be crushed like this?
Physically, the Clippers should have had an advantage, so being hammered like this, and Harden also being dominated by Westbrook, is likely largely related to Leonard's sudden departure before the game. Although he left due to wildfires and concerns for his family, which is a valid reason, it's just that the game was about to start, and the team leader suddenly left, which may have affected the morale of the teammates to some extent, and they also felt a bit reluctant to play. Otherwise, considering the Clippers' defensive capabilities and fighting spirit, losing to such a Nuggets team really shouldn't have happened.