On January 16th, Beijing time, the NBA regular season welcomed a focus battle! In this game, the Los Angeles Clippers hosted the Eastern weak team, the Brooklyn Nets. Unexpectedly, in this game, the Nets did not fight before they lowered and directly rested all their efforts, which was equivalent to giving the Clippers a big gift! The two biggest highlights of this game were when Harden would score his ninth point to elevate his career total scoring record to 15th in NBA history, and another highlight was what quality of game Leonard could play after three games of testing, especially since this game against the weak team Nets presented a great opportunity! However, as soon as the game started, the Clippers played far worse than expected, and the Nets' third-string players also showed no intention of giving up the game directly. On the Clippers' side, Harden took the lead in opening the situation with inside drives and outside shots, quickly bringing his personal score to 8 points, and the gap between the two sides was not large. Harden seized the opportunity to hit an outside three-pointer during a transition, bringing his personal score for the game to 11 points and officially surpassing Wilkins to become the 15th highest scorer in NBA history!
The other protagonist, Leonard, also played commendably in the first quarter. In the first quarter, apart from missing a step-back three-pointer from beyond the three-point line, the remaining two mid-range singles were very impressive! In the first quarter, Leonard shot 3 out of 2 for 4 points and 1 steal, while Harden shot 7 out of 4 for 11 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 1 steal. However, the other players performed too poorly, and the Clippers were surprisingly tied by the Nets at 21 in the first quarter! By the second quarter, Leonard led four substitutes on the court, and completely unleashed Leonard continuously caused damage, shooting 4 out of 2 again to score 8 points and help the team establish an advantage. When the main players returned in the second quarter, the Clippers directly expanded their lead to 23 points! In the second half, Leonard went crazy, shooting 4 out of 4 and making 3 out of 3 free throws to score 11 points and 1 rebound. The Nets couldn't match the Clippers' strong team, and by the end of the third quarter, the Clippers had already taken a 51-point lead, and the game entered garbage time early!
In this game, Leonard played for a total of 23 minutes, shooting 8 out of 11, 0 out of 1 from three-point range, and 7 out of 7 from the free throw line, furiously scoring 23 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal, with a plus-minus value as high as +46! With his outstanding performance in this game, he set multiple season records: 23 minutes of playing time is the most in the season, 23 points in a single game set a new season high, in the previous three games, Leonard only scored a total of 26 points, 8 goals, and a shooting percentage of 72.7%, all of which are new season highs! These four items of scoring, playing time, shooting percentage, and number of goals all set new personal season records! Although this game was against a weak team, and although the Clippers won a big victory, what's more important is the recovery of Leonard's form. This comeback process was handled with extra caution by both the Clippers and Leonard himself, from delaying the comeback time to limiting playing time, and finally setting a new season high today. The whole team worked together to help Leonard find his form! After this game, due to the Nuggets' loss, the gap in wins between the Clippers and the Nuggets narrowed to 1.5 wins, but they cannot let their guard down. Because the Lakers behind them also narrowly defeated the Heat at home today, the gap between the Lakers and the Clippers remains at only 0.5 wins!
The Clippers have achieved remarkable defensive results this season with their outstanding frontcourt group, allowing the third-fewest average points in the league (107.1 points), and their defensive efficiency of 107.7 points per 100 possessions ranks fourth in the league! Coupled with Harden's strong control and leadership abilities, the team has delivered results far exceeding what their lineup could deliver, especially now that Harden has regained possession of the ball! Under his leadership, Powell and Zubac have both had career-best seasons, especially Powell, who is averaging 23.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists this season, with shooting percentages of 48/44/83%, showing great potential to make an All-Star push. And Zubac has also averaged a double-double of 15 points and 12.6 rebounds, recording at least 15+ points and 15+ rebounds in 8 games this season. We must admire Harden's ability to make his teammates better! There is a classic saying in the NBA: "Offense wins the regular season, defense wins the championship!"
The Clippers' achievement of a 22-17 record this season is no easy feat, as they lost two star players averaging over 20 points last season, with Leonard averaging 23.7 points and Paul George averaging 22.6 points! Under such circumstances, a decline in scoring ability is an inevitable trend. However, under Tyronn Lue's adjustments, the team has established a defensive system far superior to last season! And now with Leonard's return, the deficiency in scoring ability can be greatly improved. As long as Leonard returns to his normal level, averaging over 20 points is easily achievable. The key is that Leonard's return will not disrupt or weaken the Clippers' defensive system; on the contrary, it can enhance it! From these few games, we can see that Leonard's sense of pressure on the ball is still top-notch in the league, but there is still some lack of feeling on the offensive end! In today's game against the Nets, Leonard has gradually found his offensive rhythm, especially his signature mid-range shots that will fill the void in the Clippers' offensive system!
We all know that Harden scores more by utilizing layups and three-pointers! The Clippers also have enough independent offensive capabilities, and Powell's true strength lies in his ability to finish without the ball! Taking advantage of Harden's ability to attract defenders, he runs out opportunities to shoot quickly or attack the basket. With Leonard's return, the Clippers have gained another strong point that can attract the opponent's defense. As long as he maintains efficiency, he will undoubtedly get more open opportunities. The complete Clippers have the ability to change the league pattern, and as their form returns, we need to include the Clippers among the championship contenders this season!
The NBA league pattern has changed, and Western teams like the Thunder, Nuggets, Rockets, and Eastern teams like the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Knicks must be wary of this complete Clippers team that is both offensively and defensively capable!