Resurgent Clippers bring new expectations into showdown with Nets
Once a major disappointment, the Los Angeles Clippers are now the NBA's hottest team. They will be out to extend their run of success during a visit from the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday in Inglewood, Calif.
More than a month removed from their 6-21 start to the season, the Clippers are now 14-3 since Dec. 20 and have bookended that run with victories over the cross-town Los Angeles Lakers, including one Thursday.
The Clippers' identity has changed so much that their 112-104 victory over the Lakers this week came with some disappointment. They led by as many as 26 points in the third quarter, then watched the Lakers pull within three with 1:28 left before closing out the win.
"We got to do a better job of taking care of the basketball," Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said. "We knew they were going to junk the game up. They got down 26 and started blitzing and firing, and we prepared for it; we just didn't handle it well. But our guys just stayed the course and found a way to win the game."
Kawhi Leonard returned from a three-game absence because of a left knee contusion to score 24 points, while James Harden added 18 points with 10 assists. Center Ivica Zubac led the charge inside with 18 points and a season-high-tying 19 rebounds.
"(It was) his ability to clean up missed shots around the basket, a couple kickouts for (3-pointers)," Lue said. "They were going small, and I thought Zu did a really good job of just showing his presence as a big man, and it was huge for us."
The Nets have been the exact opposite of the Clippers with a 2-12 record since Dec. 29, but they managed to take the Boston Celtics to double overtime Friday before falling 130-126.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 30 points in the loss, while rookie Nolan Tarore had a career-high 21. The inspired effort came after Brooklyn absorbed a 120-66 loss against the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
"From coaches to players, there is a lot for us to learn," said the Nets' Nic Claxton, who scored 18 points with nine rebounds. "It's a tough loss, obviously, so we just have to watch the film and get better from it."
Brooklyn trailed 101-91 with 3:06 remaining in regulation before making the late charge with Claxton delivering the follow-up dunk off a Porter missed 3-pointer to tie the score 104-104 with 1.9 seconds remaining.
"We made a couple of mistakes (on defense) and those mistakes, in this league, a very good team makes you pay," Brooklyn head coach Jordi Fernandez said. "They made 22 threes, and that was one of our keys of the game, to defend the 3-point line."
Now the Nets face the Clippers, whose revival has come with Leonard shooting more 3-pointers. Leonard averaged six shots from 3-point range over his first 17 games before boosting that to 8.8 over the team's improved 17-game run, where he has scored 32.1 points per contest.