On January 16th, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued with the Clippers defeating the Nets 126-67 at home! In the second and third quarters, the Clippers won by 23 points (37-14) and 28 points (44-16), respectively, securing a total advantage of 51 points early on and ending any suspense about the outcome of the game. Ultimately, the 59-point differential surpassed the previous record of a 54-point victory by the Celtics over the Raptors (125-71), making it the largest point differential in a game this season so far. This marks the top tragedy of the season! The Clippers have also set a new team record for the largest point differential in a win, previously held at 50 points.
Before the game, the Clippers were ranked 6th in the West with a record of 21 wins and 17 losses, while the Nets were ranked 12th in the East with 14 wins and 26 losses, setting the stage for a mismatched battle.
In the first quarter, Powell made a high pass, Claxton completed an alley-oop, Zaire-Williams broke through for a layup, Harden drove for a floater, Leonard hit consecutive jump shots, Terance Mann responded with a three-pointer, Harden completed a 2+1 play, and Terance Mann hit another three-pointer from outside the arc. The two teams traded blows, with the Clippers leading by as many as 7 points. Harden's career total points surpassed Dominique Wilkins to rank 15th in history, while the Nets closed out the quarter with a 7-0 run to tie the score at 21-21.
From the second quarter onwards, the point differential began to widen as Leonard scored consecutively through free throws, with contributions from Coffey and Mann as well. Leonard hit a flip shot and a fadeaway jumper, while Harden assisted Jones in completing a 2+1 play. Zubac scored with an inside putback, Powell nailed a pull-up three-pointer, and Harden hit a driving floater and initiated a fast break that led to a dunk by Coffey, extending the Clippers' lead to over 20 points.
In the third quarter, Powell stole the ball and scored on a fast break layup, Harden hit a three-pointer, Zubac dominated the paint, and Jones delivered a powerful dunk. The Nets coaching staff was called for a technical foul, and Harden made the ensuing free throw, bringing the Clippers' lead to over 30 points. The Clippers' offensive onslaught continued, with Zubac throwing down a thunderous dunk and drawing a foul for a successful 2+1 play. Powell kept firing from beyond the arc, and Leonard hit a fadeaway jumper, extending the Clippers' lead to an astonishing 52 points!
The final quarter became a training session, with the Clippers' bench maintaining a lead of over 50 points. They ultimately defeated the Nets 126-67, creating a new team record for the largest point differential in a win. The Nets became the victims of the top tragedy this season.
In this game, Harden and Leonard both exploded: Harden scored 21 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, dished out 11 assists, and recorded 2 steals in just 23 minutes of playing time, elevating his career total points to 15th in league history; Leonard, on the other hand, scored 23 points, grabbed 2 rebounds, and recorded 1 steal in 24 minutes, with a plus-minus of +46. Especially in the third quarter, Leonard went 4 for 4, scoring 11 points on his own!