Why is a team with four giants being beaten without any resistance by a team lacking their star player? The Clippers' defeat is not just a loss in one game, but a comprehensive setback. And Westbrook, the former Clippers cast-off, has used a revenge match to stomp on his old club's wounds. What makes this game so dramatic and eye-catching?
The biggest highlight of this game is undoubtedly Westbrook's performance. In three quarters, he easily scored 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists, leading the Nuggets to crush the Clippers without Jokic. Westbrook's brilliance is not only reflected in the statistics; he used a "rocking doll" celebration to mock the Clippers fans and waved to the audience with a big laugh when he left the court. Westbrook heard the boos and sarcasm from the Clippers fans loud and clear, but he responded with his performance: "I am the player you abandoned, but I am the winner today."
Honestly, Westbrook's performance this season has been inconsistent, even criticized for decision-making errors and chaotic rhythm in many games. But facing the Clippers, he seemed like a different person, playing both calmly and aggressively, as if his whole body was written with one word - "unwillingness." His former club once gave up on him, even willing to make space to bring in Harden, and today, Westbrook showed them that his value is no less than Harden's. This is a revenge where emotions and competition intertwine, and Westbrook won.
This season's Clippers can be said to be "unable to eat chicken, but the rice is spilled all over the place." They were already frequently depressed due to injury issues, and now with the addition of Harden, it's "adding chaos to the mess." The chemistry between Harden and his teammates has not yet been established, and the issue of ball distribution has made the entire team play in an awkward manner. In this game against the Nuggets, Leonard had to leave the team urgently due to a sudden wildfire at home, losing the team's top scorer, and the Clippers' lineup immediately collapsed.
What's most frustrating is that the Nuggets didn't even field a superstar like Jokic in this game. They completely relied on substitutes and role players, yet they played more cohesively and efficiently than the Clippers. As a team centered around star players, the Clippers' dependence was completely exposed in this game. When Leonard was absent, Harden was mediocre, and George made frequent mistakes, the whole team had no other options and could only watch as their opponents completed a massacre.
Let's take a look at Harden's performance - shooting only 5 out of 15, scoring 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists, but also committing 5 turnovers. On the court, his cooperation with his teammates often fell apart, and on the defensive end, he was repeatedly targeted by the opponents. It can be said that he was completely outplayed by Westbrook in this game.
Since Harden joined the Clippers, his performance has never met people's expectations. He is a ball-dominant player who needs ball rights to support him, but the Clippers already have two major cores in George and Leonard. How to balance the ball distribution among the three has become a huge challenge. The Clippers seem to have not found a solution, which not only failed to allow Harden to exert his dominance but also made the team's offensive rhythm even more chaotic.
Of course, we cannot completely blame Harden. He is indeed trying to adapt, but the Clippers' system is clearly not friendly to him. For a superstar who has entered the later stage of his career, he may need more tactical inclination rather than adapting to a team without a clear core. Besides Westbrook, there is another highlight in this game that hurts the Clippers fans - DeAndre Jordan. As a member of the Clippers' former "Lob City," Little Jordan was a top defensive center in the league during his peak. However, in recent years, his state has declined, and he is no longer seen as a competitive player.
But it is such an "outdated center" who rejuvenated when facing his old club. He scored 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists throughout the game, becoming an important pillar in the Nuggets' frontcourt. The Clippers' defense had almost no way to deal with him, and his performance was more like a reminder to the Clippers - how many valuable players did you give up in the past?
The Nuggets were able to win this game thanks to their role players. Bruce Brown and Aaron Gordon performed steadily, and the whole team adhered to the Nuggets' consistent tactical discipline, able to win by relying on the team even without Jokic. In contrast, the Clippers' bench had no way to resist when facing the opponent's impact.
This also exposes another problem of the Clippers: excessive reliance on core players. Whether it's Harden, Leonard, or George, these superstars are undoubtedly powerful, but when they are not in form, the Clippers have almost no other options. This structural weakness may become a fatal hidden danger in high-intensity playoffs.
This game has made many people start to question the future of the Clippers. Their lineup seems dazzling, but they have not been able to perform as expected. If this situation continues, will the Clippers completely rebuild? Some people even suspect that they have started to "tank" to gain higher draft picks.
But if this is really the case, the Clippers' fans might find it hard to accept. They have been waiting for a championship team for so many years, and what they finally get might be a major rebuilding? At present, the problems of the Clippers are not just tactics and player performance, but the whole team's culture and morale seem to have fallen into a low point.
This game is like a mirror, reflecting the gap between the Clippers and the Nuggets, as well as the current situation of Westbrook and Harden. Behind the victory and defeat lies the competition of team operation models and the contest of team spirit. Perhaps, the real problem is not with the individual players, but whether the Clippers have lost their direction.