With just below three minutes left within the second quarter of a highway recreation in opposition to the New Orleans Pelicans, LA Clippers small ahead Paul George had a mismatch. James Harden had the ball on the prime of the important thing with three Clippers clustered on the best aspect of the ground, giving the 6-foot-8 George your entire left aspect of the ground as he was guarded by the 6-0 Jose Alvarado.
Generally, George makes issues more durable for himself, like when he tried to elude Pelicans capturing guard Herb Jones within the first quarter and wound up getting blocked. However as a rule, George goes to effectively beat you. And as soon as Harden received the ball to George, there was no wasted movement. Alvarado is a battler, however he’s no match for George.
Pelicans head coach Willie Inexperienced sensed the staff’s momentum was in a foul place and known as a timeout, however his efforts had been fruitless. George’s turnaround subject purpose was a part of an 18-2 Clippers run that ensured LA would lead by double digits for the rest of what was in the end a 111-95 win. On the way in which to the bench, George was greeted by Russell Westbrook, he of the infamous “Rock the Child” celebration. Because it was George who received the physical-advantage bucket this time, it was solely proper he positioned the newborn into Westbrook’s cradle.
gooood morning, #ClipperNation
how we feelin’? pic.twitter.com/mHbe5YSB4l
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) January 6, 2024
The Clippers are tied with the Boston Celtics for the NBA’s finest report since Nov. 17, profitable 19 of 24 video games in that span forward of Sunday’s “highway” recreation in opposition to the reeling Los Angeles Lakers. Two of these Clippers losses got here with out energy ahead Kawhi Leonard on video games that got here on zero days relaxation (at Oklahoma Metropolis) and a matinee (vs. Celtics). The opposite three losses, in November in opposition to the Pelicans, Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors, have all been since avenged with wins in opposition to all three groups.
Certain, the Clippers are getting it performed on the courtroom. However what stands out from being round them is how a lot they’re having fun with themselves on this Unguardable Tour amid what’s a important season for the franchise’s timeline.
There was Harden’s snow angel present in Indiana that had the staff leaping off the bench and Leonard remarking that he felt like he “paid for some seats” on the enviornment. When Leonard had it going the next recreation in Dallas, Harden was skipping again to middle courtroom after Leonard’s spin transfer right into a Euro step. Talking of Harden skipping, he didn’t even await Westbrook to return down from the highest rope to start celebrating this profitable alley-oop in opposition to the Memphis Grizzlies to finish 2023.
That aforementioned Nov. 17 date is a swing issue. That’s when Westbrook was moved to the second unit so as to make Harden the only real major playmaker within the first unit and to get an off-ball presence (Terance Mann) within the beginning lineup. It took Westbrook time to regulate to the project change. However as Westbrook defined every week later after a win in opposition to the Dallas Mavericks, he believes that no one can match his power. His demeanor is contagious, whether or not the Clippers are on the highway or at residence. And Westbrook is aware of his position.
“My job is to be a frontrunner, man — lead behind the scenes, lead throughout the recreation,” Westbrook stated Friday night time. “I’m blessed with that capability to have the ability to try this and convey guys collectively.”
Certainly one of Westbrook’s finest management qualities is his inclusiveness. That even bears out in his celebrations. PJ Tucker has not appeared in a recreation for the reason that finish of November. However in December, Westbrook began doing Tucker’s prolonged nook 3-point celebration — even when Westbrook isn’t within the nook:
“I’m not taking part in, so he’s simply representing,” Tucker instructed The Athletic final month after a very raucous postgame locker room in Indiana. “That’s my canine, that’s my brother. So, he’s simply exhibiting love.”
The Lob Metropolis iteration of the Clippers had a very difficult time taking part in with pleasure by the tip regardless of being a profitable staff. After a Dec. 2016 loss to the eventual NBA champion Warriors, capturing guard J.J. Redick lamented that pleasure was missing from his staff, not like the Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs, the final three NBA champions on the time.
“I simply suppose we’re higher once we play with pleasure,” Redick remarked in what can be his remaining season with the franchise, together with Chris Paul and Jamal Crawford, with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan departing by 2018.
Final yr’s Clippers didn’t have the identical contractual timeline as this yr’s staff or the 2016-17 Lob Metropolis model. However final yr’s staff had a pleasure drawback that was evident early, based on Westbrook’s predecessor, John Wall. After an early-season recreation in opposition to the Pelicans that led to a fourth consecutive loss, Wall seemed like Redick, pleading for his new teammates to benefit from the recreation extra.
“I instructed the fellows within the locker room, I stated, ‘get pleasure from it,’” Wall stated in October 2022. “We simply appear to be we don’t haven’t any pleasure, we’re not having no enjoyable.”
Discovered the clip from my earlier life protecting the LA Clippers from when @jj_redick was discussing pleasure and hoop. This was December 2016 — the final Lob Metropolis staff https://t.co/Vk5WxUQ2Fx pic.twitter.com/YAnD48NDhO
— Legislation Murray 🧽 (@LawMurrayTheNU) October 31, 2022
After all, profitable helps the enjoyment element fairly a bit. Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue can attest to that. Final yr was irritating for Lue, who needed to navigate star-availability points that prevented him from growing constantly wise lineups. LA has been fairly wholesome this season, and level guards Harden and Westbrook have made the sport simpler for Leonard and George. In consequence, Lue has been happier.
“I believe the enjoyment comes from profitable,” Lue stated every week in the past forward of the final apply of December. “I believe, if you’re profitable and also you’re taking part in properly, there’s plenty of pleasure and plenty of pleasure that comes with that. If you’re shedding, there’s plenty of robust instances. And so, I believe, placing the work in day by day, I give these guys plenty of credit score together with my teaching workers for simply doing no matter we are able to to determine it out to make us change into a greater staff. And these guys have performed that. And so, the enjoyment comes, such as you stated, we’re profitable, getting higher, and that’s what these guys have been doing.”
The success the Clippers have had not too long ago has showcased their capability to have a good time and admire one another. There are 4 future Corridor of Famers from Southern California on the roster in Leonard, George, Harden and Westbrook. They’re all at comparable spots of their profession, with some shared accomplishments along with those that make them stand out. They’ve loved taking part in collectively and dealing collectively.
“Man, it’s enjoyable, it’s enjoyable,” George stated Friday night time. “, it’s plenty of larger-than-life personnel on this staff. And so that you admire it. You admire the greatness of Russ, James, Kawhi. You admire, , being on this place and on this roster with these guys round you. They’re going to make the sport straightforward. We’re all right here to hold that weight. We’re taking part in for a much bigger goal. I’ve been saying that. We get to characterize our hometown, and it’s one of many sweetest offers you may do.”
Work laborious, play laborious. After a 3-1 begin to the season, the Clippers had been on a six-game shedding streak that instantly offered adversity. There are nonetheless in-game components the staff should enhance upon, reminiscent of extra constant transition protection in addition to elevated offensive variety as groups decide up on how the Clippers have executed. However the teachable moments are even higher when profitable.
The veteran Clippers have been making use of these classes. Friday night time was a very putting instance of that. As spectacular as LA’s win at Phoenix was, they did surrender 122 factors. The Clippers went out to Scottsdale after the sport to have a good time the victory however had been prepared for a Pelicans staff that had gained 9 of its earlier 10 matchups in opposition to the Clippers. The Pelicans had a number of possessions to take a double-digit lead within the first quarter, however that door was finally shut by Westbrook’s protection.
“I assumed Russ did a terrific job actually defensively beginning every little thing, after which his tempo was simply phenomenal,” Lue stated of Westbrook, who had his first recreation of the season with each a number of steals and a number of blocks. “Attending to the basket, making the best play, making the best cross. And his power actually affected that recreation.”
By time George was rocking the cradle with Westbrook, the Clippers held the Pelicans with no made subject purpose for greater than 5 minutes. Most significantly, the Clippers regarded as in the event that they had been having fun with themselves the entire time.
Kawhi Leonard threw a win lose or attract right here too 💀, so I am going to hook you all up with this.
He stays probably the most unintentionally funniest participant within the NBA. The FUN GUY https://t.co/AOy1dhnsSA pic.twitter.com/c5hxFSVrc2
— Legislation Murray 🧽 (@LawMurrayTheNU) April 17, 2023
“A very powerful factor a couple of staff is being collectively, not simply on the ground, however having the ability to study your teammates, study one another,” Westbrook says. “That’s part of my job as a frontrunner, and I’ll proceed doing that, win, lose or draw. Hopefully it really works out for us ultimately.”
(Photograph of Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Paul George: Ronald Cortes/Getty Photographs)
