3 consecutive wins, 17-point victory!Harden praised the small card: the elite on both offensive and defensive ends, George changed his style of play
On January 2, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued. The Clippers beat the Heat at home to make it a three-game winning streak. In this game, Xiaoka, who missed 4 games, came back, and scored 24 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and 1 block in the whole game, with a plus/minus of +24, second only to Zubac and Harden. Another returning centre-forward, Plumlee, did not get playing time in this game. As of now, the Clippers are in a state where they are fully available, which means what we often call all-hands. Although the Heat lost Butler, the overall strength is still very strong, and the Clippers were able to win by a large score in the end, which is actually a reflection of their own strength.
3 consecutive wins and 17-point victory are not only the result of Xiaoka's comeback, but the result of the team's efforts. Harden played an easy game, scoring 15 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks. George played with a rhythmic game, finishing with 23 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. Powell did have a Kobe feel on the offensive end, scoring 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting. After the game, Harden praised the small card: the elite on both offensive and defensive ends, George changed his style of play.
Looking at this game, we still have to focus on praising Xiaoka, he is really the best player in the league in both offense and defense, and I don't even want to say it. If it weren't for injuries, he would have been a top-three superstar in the league. Let's talk about this game first, especially in the second quarter, the Clippers had serious problems on the offensive end, and the Heat had a 17-point lead, and the game was taken away by the Heat. At this time, Xiaoka stepped up, shooting 5 of 8 in the single quarter, 1 of 2 three-pointers, 2 of 3 free throws, scoring 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block, with a plus/minus of +11. It is no exaggeration to say that Xiaoka saved the team by himself, and the Heat had no way at all.
He has played 28 games this season, ranking 43rd in the league in offensive efficiency of 118.9 and 31st in the league in defensive efficiency of 108.1. Personally, he shot 52.2 percent from the field and 42.8 percent from three-point range. After the game, the reporter asked Harden: How do you feel about the comeback of the small card? George is also exaggerated: he is so steady, he looks like he has found himself.
While we praise Xiaoka, Harden, and Powell, we must not ignore George's sacrifice and dedication. Fans who have watched this game can see that George has greatly reduced his offense with the ball, and more is receiving Harden's pass to shoot, basically focusing on Harden to develop his offensive options. In fact, this sacrifice is no less than Wei Shao taking the initiative to enter the bench. Now, George is still in the prime of his career, and he still wants a max salary contract, which requires personal data to be blessed. Wei Shao is already at the end of his career, and it makes sense to play as a substitute with a base salary contract.
Therefore, it is also a huge sacrifice for George to change his style of play, and it is also to be able to make the team play more reasonably and smoothly, and have stronger strength to impact the championship. Previously, the changes of Wei Shao and Xiaoka have made the Clippers have a qualitative improvement, and George continues to sacrifice himself, which will definitely make the Clippers to the next level.
According to statistics, the Clippers' offensive efficiency in December was as high as 122.6, ranking first in the West, with an 11-2 record for the whole month, which is also the best in the West! Now that the Clippers are all healthy, the adjustment of the Big 4 is basically finalized, and the next thing is the tempering of the game. The January schedule is very difficult for them, and the five opponents after beating the Heat are the Suns, Pelicans, Lakers, Suns, and Raptors, all of which are difficult to deal with. However, it is the kind of game that can make the Clippers really upgrade and become a real championship team.