The Los Angeles Clippers started a challenging stretch of games on Wednesday night, which will test their resilience. This tough schedule comes after the wildfires in Los Angeles caused the postponement of a Clippers game and forced the NBA to reschedule others.
The Clippers’ first game in this nine-day stretch ended in a 126-67 victory over the Brooklyn Nets at the Intuit Dome, marking the largest margin of victory in franchise history.
Kawhi Leonard played for 23 minutes and 49 seconds, scoring 23 points, which was a season-high. He made 8 of 11 shots from the field and led the Clippers in scoring. James Harden contributed 21 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds in the win, which saw the Clippers leading by as much as 64 points.
Harden also surpassed Dominique Wilkins on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, moving into 15th place with 26,681 career points.
Harden spoke about not fully grasping the significance of his achievements in the moment. “We’ll figure that out when it’s all done,” he said. “But right now, it’s just I got to keep going. I got to keep getting closer and breaking more records. When it’s all said and done, which I’ll have a lot of time after, I can sit back and realize what I actually accomplished in my life. But for now, I’m in the moment. I just keep going.”
With the NBA announcing its rescheduled games earlier in the day, the Clippers now face five games next week, including two sets of back-to-backs. Despite this busy schedule, the Clippers managed to get a good start, with no starter playing more than 24 minutes. The win improved their record to 22-17 as they head into the next game against Portland on Thursday.
The Clippers took control of the game by outscoring the Nets 37-14 in the second quarter and then adding a 44-16 run in the third quarter. Coach Tyronn Lue praised the team’s focus in the third quarter, saying, “So, we just had to have a professional mindset coming out in that third quarter and we did that. Our guys were able to get some rest going into tomorrow to a back-to-back.”
Next week’s schedule will be challenging. The Clippers’ game against the Chicago Bulls, originally set for Wednesday, has been moved to Monday, creating a back-to-back situation since they will play the Lakers on Sunday.
They also have a game against the Washington Wizards, which was rescheduled from March 16 to January 23, the day after they host the defending champion Boston Celtics. The Clippers will finish the week with a home game against the Milwaukee Bucks on January 25.
The postponed game against Charlotte, which was set for last Saturday, has been rescheduled for March 16. Similarly, their February 13 game against Utah is now set for March 19. Fans who purchased tickets for these games can use them on the rescheduled dates.
With Leonard playing in just his fourth game of the season, the Clippers plan to be cautious with their star player during this busy stretch. Coach Lue mentioned that the medical staff would create a plan to manage Leonard’s playing time, which includes him sitting out Thursday’s game in Portland.
“We’ve played, I think, pretty much the top-two hardest schedules in the league so far this year. It just adds to it,” Lue said. “So, we just got to take it game by game. Can’t fall victim to the schedule. It’s out of the NBA’s hands what happened to our city and so we understand that. So, we just got to lock in.”
Leonard spoke about how he’s assessing his own performance and his focus on his movements. “Like I said, just seeing how I move, if I’m able to still slide or get to do certain things,” Leonard said.
Clippers wingman Terance Mann, who didn’t play in Monday’s game against Miami, also missed the second half against the Nets due to left calf soreness. He had five points before leaving the game.
