NBA regular season continues, the Clippers hosted the Heat game has ended, the Heat recently is a winning streak, the state is quite good. The Clippers, on the other hand, have been on a losing streak and desperately need to stop the slump at home, after all, their position on the leaderboard is not stable. They were trailing but managed to turn things around in the third quarter, securing an impressive 11-point victory at home. The key to the win lies in the data: 26+29+21! The Clippers overcame the Heat, and Leonard won by default.
The game started with Zubac scoring consecutively in the paint; on the Heat side, Love and Herro hit consecutive three-pointers to help the team take the lead. By the end of the first quarter, they had established a 13-point advantage thanks to their hot outside shooting. In the second quarter, both teams saw a noticeable drop in offensive efficiency, with the Heat's efficiency declining and the Clippers failing to capitalize on the opportunity to close the gap. The score remained close throughout the half, with the Clippers' performance not being ideal overall.
In the second half, Harden found his rhythm on offense, scoring repeatedly and leading the Clippers on a scoring run to overtake the score. Zubac also continued to score in the paint. In the third quarter, they completed the score reversal, and in the fourth quarter, both sides became locked in a tug-of-war, with the score seesawing as they maintained their fiery form, scoring continuously. Although the Heat tried to reduce the deficit, they ultimately lost by an 11-point margin on the road, ending their winning streak.
On the Heat side, Butler remains absent, and Herro was once again the highest-scoring player with 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists on 9-of-20 shooting. The substitute Weir became a trump card, scoring 19 points and grabbing 13 rebounds on 7-of-11 shooting for a double-double. However, the other players provided limited assistance, with Rozier scoring 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting and Harris scoring 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting. Other players performed averagely, and although they were competitive in the first half, they were eventually defeated after the Clippers pulled away in the third quarter. There is currently no further news about whether Butler will be traded.
The Clippers' victory in this game was directly related to the performances of three players, none of whom included Leonard. Leonard played 21 minutes, shooting 3-of-9 for just 6 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals, which is a clear case of winning by default. It is obvious that his playing time is still under control; when he can truly return will depend on his future performance and condition. Notably, after the Clippers went on an 11-0 run and were chased down to a two-point lead, Tyronn Lue called a timeout and replaced Leonard.
Harden shot 6-of-10 from beyond the arc, efficiently scoring 26 points and 5 rebounds while dishing out 11 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block, with a plus/minus of +13, the highest on the team; under his leadership, the team's offense flowed smoothly. To be fair, Harden's offensive state is indeed not at its peak, but his ability to connect the team is still commendable. Zubac played quite easily in the paint, shooting 10-of-13 for an efficient 21 points while grabbing 20 rebounds. Powell continued his fiery output and has become one of the best helpers beside Harden, contributing 29 points and six rebounds on 12-of-17 shooting. The three players who scored 20+ ultimately helped the Clippers complete the comeback and secure the victory at home.
After winning the game, the Clippers' record improved to 21 wins and 17 losses. Their ranking rose to seventh place in the Western Conference standings, only half a game behind the fifth-placed Mavericks. The Clippers are expected to break out of the play-in tournament and return to the top of the leaderboard. For the Clippers, how far they can go this season will depend on when Leonard can truly find his form. Do you think Leonard can regain his former glory?