On January 15th, Beijing time, three pieces of news about the Los Angeles Clippers have emerged, and fans who care about the Clippers should not miss them.
Leonard's Restriction Lifting Soon
Yesterday, the Clippers faced the Miami Heat at home. It is unknown whether it was due to the impact of the Los Angeles mountain fires, but the entire Clippers team did not enter the game in the first half and quickly fell behind by double digits. Fortunately, after a halftime break, the Clippers woke up from their dreamlike state, launching a super attack wave of 36:20 in the third quarter, directly reversing the momentum of the game. They ultimately defeated the Heat 109:98, ending their two-game losing streak. In this game, Clippers star Kawhi Leonard performed poorly, playing only 20 minutes, shooting 3 out of 9 for a total of 6 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals, without receiving a single minute of playing time in the entire fourth quarter. As a result, many fans are concerned about when Leonard will regain his form and when his playing time restrictions will be lifted.
Today, according to Clippers beat reporter Law Murray, both the coaching staff and Leonard himself have no objections to the current game plan. They agree that Leonard's playing time cannot be blindly increased and needs to be adjusted through more games. At the same time, Law Murray stated that Leonard's physical condition and competitive state are continuously improving. Following this trend, he could lift his playing time restrictions as early as February. A healthy Leonard is undoubtedly one of the few stars in the league who excel in both offense and defense. Fans are also encouraged to have more patience with him, believing that once the playing time restrictions are lifted, the all-powerful Leonard will return.
Tough Guy Achieves Feat
Yesterday, the reason the Clippers were able to defeat the Heat was not only related to Harden's perfect court control (26 points, 11 assists) and Zubac's dominance in the paint (21 points, 20 rebounds), but also closely tied to Powell's efficient and stable offensive output. Throughout the game, Powell played 36 minutes, shooting 12 out of 17, including 5 out of 8 three-pointers, scoring a team-high 29 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 steals. In the second half alone, Powell almost flawlessly contributed 22 points, with unstoppable drives and graceful three-point shots, becoming an important contributor to the Clippers' counterattack and reversal victory.
Today, the Clippers' official account posted pictures from yesterday's game and celebrated Powell's achievement of moving up to eighth place in career three-pointers made in franchise history. Powell has represented the Clippers for four seasons, playing a total of 172 regular-season games and making 406 three-pointers with an impressive three-point shooting percentage of 42.8%. This efficiency and volume demonstrate Powell's exceptional skills in shooting. This season, Powell's performance has been outstanding, averaging 23.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, with shooting percentages of 48.6%, 44.3%, and 84.4%, setting new career highs in multiple categories and leading the Clippers in scoring. It is hoped that Powell can maintain his confidence and good form, striving to achieve the goal of being selected to at least one All-Star game in his career.
Lineup Update for Nets Game
At 11:30 am Beijing time tomorrow, the Clippers will face the Brooklyn Nets at home. Today, the Clippers' official account released the injury list and lineup for this game, which includes: Tucker (who has reached an agreement not to join the team), Flowers & Christie (playing for the G League affiliate) will be absent; the rest of the players are available to play. The Nets are currently on a five-game losing streak, and the team has confirmed that they will undergo a transformation and rebuild, which means that as long as the Clippers do not make any mistakes, they have a good chance of securing consecutive wins. Let's wait and see.
