The Nets have lost two straight! Reggie made two free throws to kill the game, Harden slashed a triple-double, and the sluggish defense buried the victory
On January 2, Beijing time, the NBA ushered in a focus battle, and the Nets and clippers competed. At the end of the year, the Nets first lost to the 76ers in the last game of 2021, and then directly surpassed by the Bulls, and are currently in second place in the East, if the Nets want to regain the first place, they must strive to win in today's game. The Clippers have also been stumbling lately, with the team currently in sixth place in the West and a very small win difference from the team behind them, and a little attention could fall out of the top eight.
In terms of lineup, the Nets have finally survived the most difficult period, and the team lineup has been basically aligned. The Clippers are still short of major generals, and the absolute core George suffered an injury stop. The starting lineups of the two teams today are: the Nets - Harden, Mills, Durant, Brown, Aldridge, and the Clippers - Reggie, Bledsoe, Mann, Kofi, Ibaka.
Section 1:
The Nets took the lead in getting the ball, and the two teams came up with Bledsoe and Mills hitting three-pointers each. Both teams started well, and the overall rhythm was very fast, the defensive end was not high, and the two teams played completely widely. With a better feel, the Clippers took a 14-9 lead. At 6 minutes and 58 seconds, the game entered the official suspension time. The Nets played very badly, the defensive end did not create any pressure on the Clippers, and the offense was seven consecutive shots all hit the iron, directly allowing the Clippers to expand the point difference to 7 points.
Back from a timeout, relying on Harden's free throws, the Nets finally got the points. But with Bledsoe's three-point shot, the Clippers' lead has reached 10 points, and the Nets' defense back from a timeout is still sparse, without any pertinence or intensity at all. The key moment is still to see Durant, who hit three points to make the score 16-21. But then, Reggie and Mann completed a wonderful air-to-air dunk. The Nets then began to strengthen their defense, and as the Clippers began to move into the rotation lineup, the Nets took the opportunity to chase the gap to just 2 points. At 2:44, the Nets requested a timeout.
The game continued, and Clarkston's second offense successfully helped the Nets pull the score to 23 draws. Finally, the first quarter ended, and the Nets were 30-29, one point ahead of the Clippers. It can only be said that the second half of the game is the gap in the depth of the lineup, and when the Clippers develop the league's second team, it is completely the Nets' crushing.
Section 2:
Harden fouled his opponent as soon as he came up, hitting 2 free throws and one shot. But the Nets' second-team defense was also very poor, and the Clippers once again took the lead with three points. After that, the two teams began to enter the tangled stage, and the Nets played a little too casually, and the point difference was never pulled away. At 6:22, the Nets chose to pause. The Nets led by one point at 42-41, and despite getting many second-time offensive opportunities, the Nets did not grasp it at all, and Harden's many offensive attempts ended in failure.
Back from the suspension, the two teams are still playing hard to solve, and the Nets as a whole still seem too lax. Nash chose to have Ade and Griffin play at the same time, but the two did not play enough impact under the basket, or floated on the outside to shoot, completely without any guarantee of shooting percentage. In the end, the first half of the game ended, and the Nets were 53-49, leading the Clippers by four points.
The Nets didn't shoot high in the entire first half, with only Durant scoring double-figures and a team-high 16 points. Harden's offensive desire today is not low, but unfortunately, whether it is a three-point or a breakthrough, there is no way to hit, throughout the first half he shot 2 of 10, outside the three-point line is 4 of 0, the Nets' entire three-point shooting rate is less than 30%.
Section 3:
The net was stolen by the Clippers, which shows that the overall state is still very lax. The Clippers, through Bledsoe's play, once again conceded a point difference of just one point. Durant opened his own scoring mode this quarter, successive hits helped the Nets stabilize the situation, and then Harden finally hit his first three-pointer, and the Nets also played a wonderful offense, expanding the point difference to 9 points. At 5:36, the Clippers requested a timeout. The two teams scored 75-66. The Nets' outside line finally found a feel in the half quarter, and successive projections by Harden and Mills successfully helped the Nets get a decent lead.
Back from the suspension, Harden began to show his firepower, three points, killing and all handy. Coupled with the Clippers' re-entry into the rotation lineup, the Nets firmly controlled the rhythm of the score, and finally the third quarter ended, the Nets 87-80, leading by 7 points. This section harden finally found his own outside projection feel, a single quarter is 3 three-point account.
Section 4:
Harden hit a hard hit and inflicted a malicious foul on his opponent, and with his steady free throw, the Nets' lead once again came to 10 points. Dengge's performance in the first and second half was really a judgment of the two, the second half of the killing was very decisive, the main credit for the success of the team to get a good lead. In the ensuing game, the two teams were in a stalemate, and the Nets could not extend the lead again.
The Nets made another mistake in the following game, Mills also left the court for 6 fouls, and the Clippers once again shortened the point difference to 7 points. Bradso then forced a foul on the basket, and the Clippers had cut the point difference to just two points, and the suspense of the game once again appeared. However, Harden's second pass to Bemburi successfully scored 2+1, and the Nets once again gained a five-point lead. At 3:25, the Clippers requested a timeout.
Back from the timeout, Kofi hit a precise three-pointer and the Clippers managed to tie the score to 110. Winslow's inside line was successful, and the Clippers completed the rebound 114-113. The Nets then failed two consecutive three-point shots, and Mann's three-pointer directly gave the team a four-point lead, leaving only 23 seconds for the Nets. Harden hit all 2 free throws, and the difference between the two teams came to 2 points.
Bledsoe made 1 of 2 free throws, which gave the Nets a chance to equalize. With 7.5 seconds left in the game, the Nets made the final attack. The Clippers directly chose foul tactics and did not give opponents a three-point shot. However, Durant's free throws also had problems at this time, and the Clippers still maintained a two-point advantage in 2 free throws and 1. Reggie hit the free throw line, hit two free throws, and with Adu missing three-pointers, the Clippers managed to beat the Nets 120-116 on the road.
Harden contributed another triple-double in this game, with 34 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds, which is also his sixth triple-double this season and a career triple-double.
The full defense pulled the crotch, and the Nets risked a good game
In this game, the Nets actually have great advantages in terms of lineup strength and player strength, but unfortunately, after the game began, the players were like on vacation, there was no state of the game at all, and the beginning was directly played by the Clippers. Defensive end of the Nets the whole game is simply absent-minded, completely undefended state, knowing that the Clippers a few three points are accurate today, but there is no targeted defense.
Especially when the final quarter got the lead, the Nets once again had a defensive collapse, which allowed the Clippers to find a good opportunity to successfully complete the reversal and give the Nets two consecutive defeats.