Clippers Lose OT Thriller to Cross-Hall Rival Lakers
For the first time in three years, the Clippers fell victim to the Lakers.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — For the last 1,044 days, the LA Clippers have escaped what used to be a birthright: losing to the Los Angeles Lakers.
As Russell Westbrook’s potential game-tying three-pointer fell by the wayside, which was quickly followed by Bones Hyland’s own long-range attempt a mere five seconds later that could have etched his name into the brief record books of Clippers that have tortured the Lakers, it became apparent that the streak was indeed going to end.
The Clippers (3-2) couldn’t get over the hump in overtime, falling to the Lakers (3-2) by five, 130-125. The Clippers shot 47.5 percent compared to the Lakers’ 51.1 percent. LeBron James finished with 35 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists to lead the Lakers to their first victory over the Clippers in well over three years.
For the first time since signing on the dotted line to oversee the Clippers, coach Tyronn Lue tasted defeat against the team that he had once seemed so certain to lead.
“I thought our guys, they fought and competed,” Lue said after the game. “We played hard. We just didn't play smart at times, shot selection, and kept our turnovers down a little bit, but I can't fault the effort.”
The Clippers seemed poised early on to keep the good times rolling against the Lakers, even racing out to a 19-point lead late in the first quarter and holding a 16-point cushion with roughly 10 minutes to go in the third before falling victim to a bludgeoning offensive display by the Lakers in the second half.
Late in the fourth, the Clippers trailed by as much as nine before being guided back to a level score thanks to Paul George’s brilliance. George scored 20 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter, finishing the game by going 11-for-16 from the field before eventually fouling out early in the overtime period.
George sank three free throws late in regulation to draw the Clippers level and force overtime.
Kawhi Leonard began the game like a house of fire, scoring 18 of his game-high 38 in the opening quarter. Leonard also added six rebounds, five assists, and two steals in a season-high 41 minutes. Leonard playing on the second night of a back-to-back could be seen as a story unto itself, but the heavy workload should be the bigger takeaway. Leonard looked fantastic, and it has to give the Clippers some semblance of confidence moving forward.
“I think with Kawhi playing 41 minutes on the back-to-back was huge for us to see that and for him to feel good,” Lue said postgame.
The duo of George and Leonard went plus-24 in their 30 minutes and 59 seconds together. It was the fourth time out of five contests that the pair has gone at least plus-19 during a game. Now, the team gets to add James Harden to the equation.
As one would imagine, Harden was the talking point postgame despite the tough loss. And the conglomerate of talent on the Clippers — from George to Leonard to Russell Westbrook, and even Lue — addressed the bearded elephant in the room.
“He's one of the best players to step on the NBA floor,” Leonard said of Harden. “So, we got a lot to figure out, and I'm happy for him and ready to see him play in a Clipper jersey.”
Integrating Harden into a squad that already has two proven stars won’t be easy, but the stars on the team know what Harden represents, not just going forward but with the accolades he possesses in the rearview mirror.
Harden, the NBA’s 2017-18 Most Valuable Player, is a career 24.7 point per game scorer and has averaged as much as 36.1 over a full season. But in recent years, while his scoring has dipped into the low-to-mid 20s, Harden has become a generational passer capable of seeing the tiniest pockets of space and fitting a basketball through them with gifted aplomb.
“Obviously, James is a superstar, proven that year after year,” said George during his postgame presser. “Another playmaker. Another scorer, leader, really happy to have him here.”"
“Man, it's great,” Westbrook responded after the game when asked about his overall thoughts on adding Harden and PJ Tucker to the team. “Looking forward to getting them onboard, accustomed to how we play, and it'd be exciting to — just another process to figure out and it should be an easy one.”
There’s going to be some semblance of growing pains for this team after adding Harden to the mix. It’d be foolish to think otherwise. It’s rare for entities in the NBA to hit the ground running.
Thankfully, the Clippers now have four days off to practice and integrate the new players before having to play against the New York Knicks on the road. Sources close to the situation tell Russo Writes that Harden is expected to not only play on Monday in New York but start alongside Westbrook, George, and Leonard for the foreseeable future.
Now, the Clippers get to look ahead to the future after watching a winning streak against the team that shares not only the same city but the same building become a talking point of the past.
We’re now all on Harden time. And it’s best to look forward.