Clippers gamers wore T-shirts with the phrases “L.A. STRONG” on them, and Clippers public tackle announcer Eric Smith delivered a pregame speech, providing encouragement to these affected by the devastating fires ravaging Los Angeles.
“The smoke will lift and they will return and rebuild because this is L.A., and today we all stand together — one team, one Los Angeles,” Smith informed the Intuit Dome crowd.
The Clippers then performed their first sport since Wednesday, wanting sluggish and falling behind by 13 factors within the first half.
However the Clippers surged within the third quarter, taking management behind a powerful protection and the play of James Harden and Norman Powell to drag out a 109-98 win over Miami.
Having 4 days off from basketball, the Clippers mirrored on how L.A. is coping with a disaster.
“It was hard just understanding what everyone is going through,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue mentioned, “the whole city and just everyone rallying behind each other just trying to do what they can to help support friends, families, neighbors. … It’s a tough time. So we’re just here to support, try to uplift people playing basketball, see if we can put smiles on people’s faces, see if we can have people gather, watch the game and do something different and try to take their mind off it. But it’s tough times right now.”
Powell completed with 29 factors and 6 rebounds and Harden had 26 factors and 11 assists. The Clippers additionally received a dominant efficiency from heart Ivica Zubac, who had a 20-20 sport with 21 factors and 20 rebounds. It was his second profession sport with no less than 20 factors and 20 rebounds.
“It’s hard to do, but that’s something that I set a goal of: ‘I want to get a 20-20,’” Zubac mentioned. “…I’m glad I was able to do it.”
Harden had 13 of his 26 factors within the third quarter, together with a floater to beat the buzzer that gave the Clippers an 11-point lead they by no means surrendered. Powell had 11 of his 29 factors within the third. He was 12 for 17 from the sector and 5 for eight from three-point vary.
After the sport, Powell talked concerning the challenges of enjoying basketball in a metropolis dealing with tragedy.
“They are losing everything and you’re focused on basketball,” Powell mentioned. “It’s a tough thing to focus on like it’s normal. You’re in this city where there are tragedies and fires are going on. But like I said, we got a job at hand, they cleared us to play, so you got to focus on that.”
The Clippers (21-17) scored 36 factors within the third on 55.5% taking pictures from the sector. However they have been much more spectacular on protection, holding the Warmth to twenty factors on 38.1% taking pictures.
“I thought the zone (Miami played) slowed us down, made us stagnant,” Lue mentioned. “We didn’t make quick decisions early on in the game. And, so, we kind of got stagnant and I thought in the second half we did a much better job of executing against a zone. … We just didn’t look good in that first half offensively. In that second half, we kind of figured it out.”
Clippers ahead Kawhi Leonard controls the ball in entrance of Miami Warmth guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. through the first half of the Clippers’ 109-98 win Monday on the Intuit Dome.
(Jessie Alcheh / Related Press)
For Kawhi Leonard, it was simply his third sport again after lacking the primary 34 video games of the season with irritation in his proper knee. Leonard performed in two video games after which missed Wednesday’s sport towards Denver to return residence to Los Angeles to handle his household after the wildfires broke out Tuesday night time.
Leonard has a house in Pacific Palisades.
“Just trying to get the family in order, making sure that everybody is settled, and everyone is safe,” mentioned Leonard about what the previous week has been like for him.
Leonard performed 20 minutes 44 seconds, scoring six factors on three-for-nine taking pictures, together with lacking all three of his three-point makes an attempt. Beneath a minutes restriction, he didn’t play within the fourth quarter.
“I’m trying to do my job to help the team win,” Leonard mentioned. “That’s all I do. And, yeah, I feel good. As long as I’m feeling good on the court, I’m able to move quickly, get to my spots and that’s all I’m looking for.”
Miami All-Star heart Bam Adebayo (again contusion) didn’t play for Miami (20-18).
