With 37 seconds left in the Los Angeles Clippers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, Paul George held the ball and hit the ball in an incredible pose against Isaac Okoro's defense to help the Clippers overtake the score, while the referee's whistle sounded, it was a 2+1! Paul George, who fell off the line, stood up from the ground and let out a roar at the home audience.
Clippers, God of Reversal! Incredibly, the Clippers played a 17-1 offensive climax. In the end, the Clippers defeated the Cavaliers 119-117, ending the Cavaliers' eight-game winning streak.
You know, with five minutes left in the game, the Los Angeles Clippers trailed the second-place Cavaliers in the East by a full 13 points. The Cavaliers appear to have pocketed wins and have a chance to continue to catch up on the team's longest winning streak since the 2017-18 season: 13 straight wins. It was a record set by LeBron James leading the Cavaliers, and the young core of the Cavaliers is eager to write a new chapter of their own, but former Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue is not willing to complete them.
'We won it all, it was our most important victory.' George, who had 26 points and five rebounds, said after the game, "Overall, it was probably a better night for us to play offensively and defensively. They have elite scorers, top shooting ability, and I think we matched them well on both the offensive and defensive ends. ”
A week earlier, George had scored the winning shot in the right bottom corner where he roared that day, allowing the Clippers to avoid the embarrassment of losing to the rebuilding Houston Rockets. The Clippers were relieved to beat the Rockets, after all, they were still five points behind the Rockets in the final 1 minute or so, while also under pressure to lose four consecutive games. However, this big comeback against the Cavaliers is different. This time they are determined to do everything they can to beat one of the hottest teams in the league right now.
'George dominated today's game and I liked his performance.' Tyren Lue praised George for his play after the game.
In this game, the Clippers still trailed by 10 points with three minutes left in the fourth quarter. In the past 25 seasons of Clippers history, the Clippers have been 0-629 in games that are still 10 points behind with three minutes left in the regular season. But it was the Clippers who met the 630th time. This Clippers team is truly unique, and they've made so many eye-popping reversals over the past two seasons to make the impossible possible.
On March 30, 2022, the Clippers also played at home, and they finally came back after trailing the Utah Jazz by 25 points. Previously, teams were 235-0 in the regular season with a lead of at least 25 points. Last season, the Clippers made at least 24-point comebacks four times, and against the Wizards, they achieved a historic comeback of 35 points.
Clippers center Zubac was surprised to talk about the final comeback because the Cavaliers showed better quality and performance than the Clippers in the game, "but I think that's what we're going to do." This will have an important impact on our self-confidence. ”
Donovan Mitchell scored another 30 points, Evan Mobley had 26 points and eight rebounds, and Jarent Allen had 10 points, 20 rebounds and two blocks, and his shielded defense embarrassed the Clippers. Veteran Kevin Love also fired frequently from the outside, hitting four three-pointers and contributing 17 points and eight rebounds.
In a desperate situation, the small lineup, Coach Lu once again sacrificed his killer weapon of repeated miracles. This move allowed the Clippers to reach the 2021 Western Conference Finals, this move allowed the Clippers to achieve four major reversals of 24 points or more, and this move also allowed the Cavaliers to win the 2016 NBA championship.
Zubac, who had been a standout player this season, lacked all three inside against the Cavaliers, with a plus-minus of just -15, and was dropped by Tyronn Lew in the fourth quarter. A small lineup of George, Reggie Jackson, Norman Powell, Marcus Morris and Terence Mann showed their strength in the final stages of the fourth quarter. With such a big point difference, Lue needed better space on the court, but in fact, the Clippers' small lineup didn't make much of a difference this season, but this time, they used their excellent change of defense to get the Cavaliers to shoot 0-of-7 in the final five minutes, and Mitchell scored no point in three minutes, playing the strongest defense of the season.
Powell, one of the heroes of the reversal, revealed in his post-game press conference that with more than four minutes left in the fourth quarter and the team trailing by 12 points, it was George who brought the group together. Powell said: "We've been playing together when we're behind double digits, and I think that's very important for us. Today's reversal shows what we can do. There were games before where we didn't play like this, didn't focus and work as hard as we needed. ”
In the next game, the Clippers will face the Lakers, and there is a high probability that Kovai Leonard will still miss the game. The Clippers also understand that Leonard's road to recovery will be bumpy and that something unforeseen will surely happen. For Leonard's injury, the Clippers chose to take conservative treatment rather than having him attend the road game to overcome some discomfort. While the Clippers wait for Leonard to return, they must also address offensive inefficiencies (only the Lakers are less than the Clippers per game), and this game against the Cavaliers may bode well.
Tyronn Lue said that the Clippers' form is picking up, and Mann and Powell have also found a scoring rhythm, watching the team as it did when they reached the Western Conference finals in 2021.
Tyren Lue said: "I think so, but when Leonard returns, everything will be different. You have to try to sort it out again. But I also like where we are now. We compete every night. ”