On December 18, Beijing time, the 2023 NBA regular season will have a number of games tomorrow, and one of the key games has attracted much attention, Leonard led the Big Four Clippers to challenge the Pacers away. Prior to this game, the Clippers had won seven in a row and are currently sixth in the West with 15 wins and 10 losses, while the Pacers have suffered three straight losses and are currently seventh in the East with 13 wins and 11 losses. The Clippers are in high spirits, while the Pacers are languishing and demoralized. This is the first meeting between the two teams this season, and the first game of three consecutive road games for the Clippers, who are first on the Pacers and are bound to win eight in a row to get off to a good start to their road trip and consolidate their Western standings.
This season's Clippers are even more highly anticipated due to the arrival of Harden. The Big Four combination of Leonard + Harden + Westbrook + George makes all teams in the league fearful. However, in the early stage, the Big Four did not play as well as they should, but suffered 6 consecutive defeats. However, as the game progresses, the players know each other and trust each other, Harden's chemistry with the other Big Three has gotten better and better, and the team's record has also turned 180 degrees, and after six consecutive losses, it is now on a seven-game winning streak, and has won 11 of its last 14 games. Let the fans see the strength and dominance that this team with the Big Four should have. During the team's seven-game winning streak, Leonard went from the Poseidon Needle to the integration of offense and defense, and Harden also turned into a fat magician, successfully connecting the team's offense. Now the Clippers are very fluid on both ends of the floor.
The Clippers' last game was against the Knicks at home, and Leonard continued to perform bravely, and the God of War card punched in the third quarter, scoring 37 points + 7 rebounds + 4 assists + 2 steals. And James Harden only played 28 minutes, cutting a double-double of 10 points + 12 assists, under his organizational tandem, especially with the cooperation of the center he is best at, the Clippers' offensive rotation is very smooth, and the offensive efficiency is very high. George, on the other hand, switched back and forth between gods and ghosts, playing wildly in the first half and almost nothing in the second half. Wei Shao is still very energetic on the bench, playing only 15 minutes, cutting 10 points and 6 rebounds, quite efficient. With the combined play of the Big Four, the Clippers defeated the Knicks by 22 points 144-122 at home and achieved a hearty victory.
Compared to the Clippers, the Pacers' recent performance has been quite poor, they have suffered three consecutive defeats, the last five games, they have played on the road, during the five-game road trip, they have only won one game, this one is still a difficult win against the bottom of the league Pistons, the other four games, they lost to the Lakers and Timberwolves in the West, the Bucks and Wizards in the East. After the midseason defeat to the Lakers, Haliburton and his Pacers, who have been highly anticipated by fans this season, have fallen into a slump, and the league team seems to have found a way to deal with the Pacers, as long as Haliburton's play is contained on the defensive end, then the Pacers' offense seems to have lost its brains and completely stalled. The Pacers, and Haliburton himself, failed to find a solution.
Although the Clippers are playing on the road, their recent form and overall team strength are obviously much higher than the Pacers, so the Clippers are very hopeful of winning eight in a row on the road, while the Pacers are eager to stop the losing streak at home. However, against the menacing Clippers Big Four, their odds are not great. In addition, whether Leonard will continue to be efficient, whether Harden can easily play double-doubles, whether George can play consistently, and whether Wei Shao can continue to shine on the bench are one of the many highlights of this game.