The Los Angeles Clippers have been performing well this season, despite Kawhi Leonard being out for more than two months. Their ranking in the Western Conference remains within the top seven, which is better than expected. With Leonard set to return, the Clippers' offensive and defensive capabilities are expected to significantly improve, once again making them contenders for the playoffs. The departure of Paul George has not affected the team, as Powell has had a breakout season, averaging 24 points with a three-point shooting percentage of 44.45%, his best performance yet. James Harden has been instrumental in maximizing the potential of players like Powell and Zubac. Zubac, a second-round pick in 2016, initially played for the Lakers as a substitute, often during garbage time, averaging only 3.7 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. At that time, Zubac averaged less than 10 minutes per game. However, through hard work and improvement, he gradually increased his averages to 7 points and 4.9 rebounds, then 8.1 points and 7.2 rebounds. The Lakers later traded Zubac to the Clippers, where he became the starting center, receiving more opportunities and seeing an increase in his scoring and rebounding averages. In the 2021-22 season, Zubac averaged 10.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists; in the 2022-23 season, he averaged 10.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assists. After Harden joined the Clippers last season, he helped Zubac improve his efficiency in scoring off screens and in pick-and-roll situations, resulting in averages of 11.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.2 blocks, with both points and blocks reaching…

The NBA regular season is nearing its halfway point, and the Western Conference standings are becoming clearer. The Thunder have a stable first place with a 13-game winning streak, pulling ahead of the Grizzlies and Rockets. The second-tier teams, the Rockets and Grizzlies, maintain a win rate above 65%, making the top four in the West relatively secure. The Mavericks have seen their record drop due to Luka Doncic's injury, similar to the Suns at the start of the season, where the absence of key players makes it difficult to win games. In the third-tier group, the Suns are gradually falling behind, but from the tenth-place Spurs to the fourth-place Nuggets, there is only a 2.5-game difference, with intense competition among them. Despite being one of the least favored teams by American media, the Clippers have started the season with a solid 19-15 record. Firstly, after more than two months of recovery from injury, Leonard is finally set to return. However, his comeback raises questions about whether it will disrupt the team's established chemistry. Let's look at the first phase of fan voting for this season's All-Star Weekend. In the Western Conference frontcourt rankings, Jokic (1.42 million votes), Durant (1.27 million votes), and James (1.17 million votes) dominate the top three spots. In the backcourt, the top two are Alexander (1.05 million votes) and Doncic (0.87 million votes), with Curry ranking third with 0.81 million votes. This essentially determines the Western Conference All-Star starting lineup. Among the most anticipated Clippers players, Harden ranks sixth in the Western Conference backcourt with…

Today, the Clippers without Harden faced off against the Thunder, who had already won 12 consecutive games before the match. In the first half, the Thunder did not perform well, perhaps due to the common occurrence of underestimating their opponent when a strong team faces a "weak" one. At halftime, the Clippers were still in the lead. However, at the start of the third quarter, the Thunder launched an offensive spree with a 17-5 run. The third quarter alone saw them score 42 points to the Clippers' 20, winning the quarter by a margin of 22 points. Ultimately, the Thunder secured a decisive victory over the Clippers with a final score of 116-98, achieving their 13th consecutive win and setting a new team record for consecutive victories! In all honesty, given the Clippers' lineup today, if they were able to defeat the Thunder, the latter should give up their status as the top team in the West. Some people previously claimed that with Chet's injury, the Thunder would be finished. However, they have Harten! In today's game, Harten played for 23 minutes, shooting 5 out of 9 attempts, scoring 11 points, grabbing 9 rebounds, and dishing out 6 assists. The depth of the Thunder's roster is truly enviable. With both depth and star power, they have a perfect roster structure. Now, what level does Shai Gilgeous-Alexander occupy in the NBA? MVP material, perhaps?! In today's game, Alexander played three quarters, shooting 9 out of 17 attempts, making 2 out of 5 three-pointers, and converting all 9 free throws, accumulating 29…

The Clippers have completed a stunning comeback, overcoming a 14-point deficit to defeat the Pelicans 116-113, thanks to Powell's explosive performance. The Pelicans were on the verge of victory, but the Clippers refused to let them have it, snatching away what should have been their win at the last moment. The game was like a roller coaster, with ups and downs that made everyone hold their breath. Soon after the game started, the Pelicans seized the opportunity to take the lead. They were in good form, especially McCollum, who started firing three-pointers one after another, making the Clippers' defense struggle. At one point, the Pelicans led by 5 points, and when McCollum hit a buzzer-beater three-pointer, everyone wondered if they could finally hold on and secure this long-awaited victory. But the Clippers fought back. Zubac attacked several times in the paint, not giving the Pelicans any breathing room, helping the Clippers overtake the score. Harden's three-pointers also seemed to have found their touch, hitting several key shots to stabilize the team's morale. Everyone began to suspect that Harden might really be the one who could carry the team. In the second quarter, the Pelicans still hadn't completely relaxed their vigilance, continuing to try to expand their lead, even leading by 8 points at one stage. This is when Powell of the Clippers began to show his power. You have to say, Powell is really a tough character to deal with. He suddenly went on a scoring spree on the court, especially with his consecutive 15 points, directly reducing the Pelicans'…

On January 3rd, Beijing time, the Clippers suffered their worst loss of the new season, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Harden, as they finally realized who the real star of the team is. If the team could only choose one All-Star, it definitely wouldn't be Powell. The Clippers faced a crushing defeat against the top team in the West, the Thunder, losing by a massive 18 points. In this game, Powell had another poor performance, shooting 1 out of 11 and scoring only 6 points with 6 turnovers. Without Harden, Powell has only made 6 out of 29 shots this season, including a dismal 1 out of 15 from three-point range. The cold, hard facts prove that the true All-Star of this team should be Harden. If the other Clippers players were subjected to the defensive intensity that Harden usually faces, they simply couldn't handle it. Prior to this, Powell's average score had skyrocketed to first place in the Clippers this season, averaging 24.3 points per game. Many people claimed that Powell was the true leader of the Clippers, while Harden was just along for the ride. But now without Harden, can Powell perform better? The reality is that without Harden to draw defenders away, Powell can't maintain an All-Star level of play, nor does he have the ability to do so. This game serves as the most typical example, where he missed 10 consecutive shots and only scored 2 points during garbage time. This means that without Harden, he wouldn't even be able to…

With the continuous evolution of NBA gameplay, scoring has become much easier for players today compared to a decade ago. This season alone, more than 40 players in the league are averaging over 20 points per game. Considering that superstar pairings have become commonplace in the current NBA, we've seen numerous high-scoring duos emerge, with some teams boasting an average combined score of over 50 points. For instance, this season's Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard have a combined average of 58.6 points. However, since the regular season is far from over, their performance may still fluctuate. Excluding this season, let's take a look at the highest-scoring duos in NBA history. Anthony & Iverson (52.1 points per game in the 08 season) In the mid-2006-2007 season, Allen Iverson was traded to the Nuggets. Although he was no longer at his peak, he still had considerable scoring ability. At the same time, the Nuggets' star player Carmelo Anthony had matured, forming a formidable outside shooting duo with Iverson. By the 2007-2008 season, both their averages ranked in the top five in the league, with Iverson averaging 26.4 points (third in the league) and Anthony following closely with 25.7 points (fourth in the league). Under the leadership of Anthony and Iverson, the Nuggets won five more games in the regular season than the previous year. However, due to fierce competition in the West, their ranking actually dropped to eighth in the West, and they were eliminated in the first round that year. James & Wade (52.2 points per game in the 11…

On January 3rd, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued, with the Thunder defeating the Clippers 116-98, achieving a triple kill against their opponents this season. Harden was absent due to right groin soreness, while Alexander played three quarters and scored 29 points with 8 assists. The Clippers led by as many as 16 points in the first half, but the Thunder turned the game around in the third quarter with a 42-20 run, widening the gap and ultimately securing the victory. This win marks the Thunder's 13th consecutive victory, setting a new team record for the Oklahoma City era. Powell had a cold hand, shooting only 1 out of 11 throughout the game. Statistical Highlights Clippers: Coffey scored 26 points with 6 three-pointers, Zubac had 11 points and 9 rebounds, Porter contributed 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists, Powell had 6 points, 2 assists, and 6 turnovers (1 out of 11 shooting), Bamba scored 12 points with 8 rebounds, Little Jones had 6 points and 6 rebounds, Dunn scored 8 points with 5 rebounds, and Miller added 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists. Thunder: Alexander scored 29 points with 8 assists, Jalen Williams had 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists, Harten contributed 11 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists, Wiggins scored 9 points with 4 rebounds, Dort had 9 points, Wallace scored 9 points, Mitchell added 11 points, and Joe contributed 9 points. Star of the Game Alexander, who has just won the monthly MVP award for the second consecutive time, continued his stable performance, leading…

On December 31st, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued as the Los Angeles Clippers traveled to face the New Orleans Pelicans away from home. The Pelicans were in the midst of a 9-game losing streak, firmly holding the last spot in the Western Conference; while the Clippers were on a 2-game winning streak, needing more victories to avoid falling into the play-in tournament area. Both teams started off with a fierce offensive battle, with the Pelicans slightly ahead in the chaos until the second quarter when the Clippers managed to level the score thanks to Kobe Bryant's heroic performance. After halftime, the Pelicans hit multiple three-pointers, building a massive 16-point lead at one point. In desperate times, Harden stepped up, attacking and assisting to help the Clippers erase the deficit. The two teams then became embroiled in a tug-of-war, with the game's suspense dragging on until the end. The Clippers completed a great comeback with Harden's free throw. Ultimately, the Clippers narrowly defeated the Pelicans 116-113. The Pelicans, plagued by injuries, faced the surging Clippers and gambled with their hot shooting, achieving an impressive 51.2% field goal percentage and sinking 18 three-pointers at a 48.6% rate. In contrast, the Clippers shot only 35.1% from beyond the arc, making just 13 of 37 attempts. However, the Pelicans' limited talent and single-minded approach allowed the Clippers to mount a decisive counterattack with their dominance in the paint. Throughout the game, the Clippers outrebounded their opponents 40-35, dominated the offensive rebounds 14-6, and outscored them in the paint 56-44. Crucially, the Clippers…

In the NBA, scoring 60 points throughout a game is a very difficult feat to achieve. However, there are always some top-level players who have accomplished this goal by only playing three quarters of a game. For example, Harden with 60 points, Kobe with 62 points, and Thompson with 60 points. So the question arises, which of these three has the highest quality? Harden's 60 Points in Three Quarters Harden's abilities are undeniable. In terms of historical scorers, he can be compared to the likes of Jordan, Kobe, and McGrady, with a rich array of offensive techniques. Winning three scoring titles with the Rockets is solid evidence of his prowess. In the 19th season against the Hawks at home, Harden scored 60 points using only three quarters, with 23 free throws, making 20 of them, earning 20 points from the line. Thompson's 60 Points in Three Quarters Thompson is a top-tier 3D player in the current league. Although not considered a superstar, he is definitely at the star level, having assisted Curry in winning four championships. He can be considered the strongest second-in-command since Pippen, excelling in mid-to-long-range shooting, especially with a single-quarter record of 37 points and 14 three-pointers that are hard for future generations to surpass. In the 16th season against the Pacers, Thompson was in excellent form, taking 33 shots and making 21, including 8 out of 14 three-point attempts, and he only played three quarters to score 60 points. Kobe's 62 Points in Three Quarters Kobe has always been known for his scoring ability throughout his…

I'm the Clippers, and on January 1st, Beijing time, I had to go away to compete against the Spurs. This game really wore me out; playing back-to-back games, my physical strength was really drained. That Wenyamana is just too strong; no one on our team could stop him, watching helplessly as he helped the Spurs take the lead. Powell's offense wasn't effective either, making it difficult for us to catch up. And I kept making mistakes; when the Spurs were scoring from multiple angles, I was beaten to pieces, and by the third quarter, there was no more suspense in the game. In fact, losing this game isn't something the Clippers can't accept. After all, this was a back-to-back game, so it's understandable that the Clippers' offensive state was low. Take Powell, for example; he's been playing great recently, so his occasional dip in form in this game should be forgiven, especially since even Harden has had several slumps this season. Moreover, this game wasn't just about Powell's slump; Zubac and the others didn't play well either. In the end, Powell shot 4 of 12 for 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists, while Zubac shot 2 of 7 for 5 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. For the Clippers, a crushing defeat isn't actually the most terrifying thing; what really worries them is a major change in Harden. At the beginning of the season, Harden couldn't control his mistakes. Fortunately, as the season progressed, Harden gradually got better at controlling them. But who knew that in recent games, Harden's…