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Written by Little Lion Focus
Editor: Little Lion Focus
At the beginning of the game, Ja Morant was absent due to illness, which brought certain challenges to the Grizzlies' offense and defense. Memphis' four-game winning streak was ended by the Nuggets, and they once again faced a fierce back-to-back matchup against the equally strong Clippers.
In the game, Kawhi Leonard was absent due to injury, which made the Clippers lineup also face some changes. The Clippers, led by James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Paul George, have a high-profile matchup. At the same time, the Grizzlies' Morant and Smart formed a combination of offense and defense, which brought anticipation to fans.
In the game, Harden once again broke the record and showed an excellent individual performance. George, on the other hand, contributed to the team with 23 points and seven rebounds. Zubac was even more eye-catching in rebounding, scoring 15 points and 20 rebounds, providing strong interior support for the team.
Although the Grizzlies tried to make a 21-point comeback, they were ultimately rejected by the Clippers, who managed to make it two wins in a row. This game is not only a matchup of the strength of the players on both sides, but also shows the team cohesion and combat effectiveness of the Clippers without Kawhi Leonard.
At the beginning of the game, the Grizzlies quickly launched an offense, and Morant cleverly assisted Smart to complete a layup to give the team an advantage. Jackson showed his shooting ability with two three-pointers to open the scoring for the Clippers. George, on the other hand, scored solidly on a high jumper and contributed points to the team.
Smart and Coffey battled it out from mid-range range, while Mann hit two accurate shots from the free-throw line to outscore Yombo's score in the box. Harden showed excellent playmaking on the offensive end, assisting Zubac for a successful aerial relay layup, and then made consecutive three-pointers to open up the score gap, while also completing a key block on the defensive end.
Williams scored from the outside, Mann and Harden scored under the basket, Morant forced the score inside the box, and Harden stopped the opponent with a long-range shot. Before the end of the first quarter, the Grizzlies' bench players contributed four consecutive points, and Westbrook responded with a three-pointer. George and Smart each hit two free throws, Brown hit from the outside, Theis blocked Morant's shot, Tillman scored inside the box, and Powell and Brown hit back-to-back. After the first quarter, the Clippers took a 33-25 lead.
Entering the second quarter, the game became more and more intense. Powell hit a successful rebound under the basket and Bane hit a long-range shot, showing the Grizzlies' offensive prowess. Westbrook scored five straight points from mid-range to open the scoring for the Clippers, while Morant scored one point from the free-throw line.
Harden performed bravely on the offensive end, assisting Willis and Theis to complete an aerial relay dunk to help the Clippers play an 11-4 spurt and extend the margin to 15 points. The Grizzlies realized the crisis and called a timeout, Morant made a shot, Aldama made a long-range shot from the outside, Theis hit a free throw, Morant hit a mid-range shot, and Memphis played a 7-1 offensive run to quickly tie the score
Willis was in the driver's seat again, setting up a stunning dunk from Brown, Aldama making a layup, and Powell hitting two shots from the free-throw line. George didn't feel good from the outside at this time, Jackson scored four points in a row in the low post and sent a big hat with full firepower, Smart scored five points from mid-to-long range, and Bane even scored with a hook hand, and the Grizzlies played an 11-0 offensive run to tie the score. Harden and George assisted Zubac for a dunk to stop the bleeding for the Clippers. Bane and Coffey each scored under the basket, Jackson hit a long-range shot and Harden returned the favor with 2-of-3 free throws from the free-throw line. Mann made a layup to give the Clippers a 59-55 lead at the end of the first half.
At the start of the third quarter, the Clippers continued to maintain their hot touch. Zubac scored from inside the box, and Morant relied on consistency from the free-throw line to hit both free throws. Harden showed a great big hat on the defensive end, and then completed a 2+1 on the offensive end, contributing a wave of key points to the team. Coffey made a long-range shot from the outside, and George quickly assisted Mann for a rebounding layup after a steal, and the Grizzlies felt the pressure and forced them to call a timeout.
After the pause, the match went into a white-hot showdown. Morant and George battled fiercely from mid-range, with Zubac scoring in the box and George and Smart hitting from distance. Aldama scored on a layup, George hit another three-pointer, and the Grizzlies showed a tenacious sense of confrontation on the offensive end. Morant scored four straight points under the basket, and Harden assisted George with a stunning dunk to respond to the opponent's score for the Clippers.
Then, Harden hit two free throws, and Coffey made a beautiful dunk on the fast break to help the Clippers extend the deficit to 18 points, forcing the Grizzlies to call a timeout again. Bane scored from the outside, Harden was blocked by the opponent under the basket, Bane and Willis each scored on the layup, and Morant responded with a powerful dunk. Coffey hit a long-range shot from the outside, Harden hit two straight shots from the free-throw line, and George hit a high jumper. At the end of the third quarter, the Grizzlies trailed 75-94, and George scored 12 points in the quarter.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Willis assisted Theis with a stunning dunk to extend the lead for the Clippers again, and the Grizzlies found themselves facing a 21-point comeback dilemma. Roddy hit a shot and made a free throw, Smart hit a three-pointer from the outside, Bane scored four points with a free throw, and Jackson made a layup. With Westbrook scoring in the box, Roddy scoring a point from the free-throw line and Aldama hitting a layup, the Grizzlies went on a 15-2 offensive spree to quickly close the score to just eight points, and Tyronn Lue had to call a timeout.
After a timeout, George scored on a back-to-back single, Morant and Jackson hit back-to-back free throws, and the Grizzlies quickly chased the score again. At this point, Powell hit a three-pointer from the outside and then made a layup to stabilize the game for the Clippers.
Smart hit a long-range shot from the outside, while George was sent off for too many fouls. Next, the Clippers made a series of turnovers, but the Grizzlies couldn't capitalize on their opportunities and couldn't hit back-to-back three-pointers. Bane made a layup under the basket, Harden missed a long shot, George scored on a single shot, and Zubac delivered a beautiful big hat under the basket. George hit both free throws as the Clippers re-established a 13-point lead and took the initiative on the court.
Then, Jackson made a successful layup under the basket, and George left the court with a sixth foul, and the suspense of the game rose again. Smart hit both free throws, Powell scored on the basket and Jackson hit a crucial three-pointer. Mann scored three points from the free-throw line, but the clock was out. In the end, the Clippers won 117-106 and successfully rejected the 21-point comeback to win two in a row.
It was a match full of intense confrontations, great performances, and tense moments. Whether it's the Clippers' winning streak or the Grizzlies' tenacious counterattack, fans are addicted. And the excellent performances of Harden and George, as well as various highlights on the court, also added a lot of color to this game.
With this game over, the Clippers will continue to keep their record in play, while the Grizzlies will continue to adjust and prepare for the challenges ahead. The NBA season has just begun, and this game is just one of the highlights, with more exciting moments to come. Fans are also looking forward to seeing the team create more miracles in the coming journey and bring more memorable moments to basketball fans.