Kings Edge Clippers in Second Highest Scoring NBA Game Ever
When the smoke cleared from one of the wildest shootouts in NBA history, the Sacramento Kings defeated the L.A. Clippers 176-175 in double overtime. Kings Coach Mike Brown, long known for the excellent defensive teams that he has mentored, said after the game, "From a fan’s standpoint, I can see how this game would have been a lot of fun to watch. There was unbelievable shot making and great defense. There was high-level talent that was on display. Kudos to the players." No one would argue that this was a defensive struggle, but--unlike the NBA All-Star Game--this was not an embarrassing exhibition of uncontested shots: the teams combined to commit 55 fouls and attempt 71 free throws, so the players provided more than a little defensive resistance.
The only game in NBA history featuring more points was Detroit's 186-184 triple overtime win over Denver in 1983.
Malik Monk led the Kings with 45 points plus six assists off of the bench, while De'Aaron Fox added 42 points and 12 assists. The Kings lead the NBA in scoring this season, averaging 120.6 ppg prior to last night's game, and they have the third best record in the Western Conference.
Kawhi Leonard paced the Clippers with 44 points on 16-22 field goal shooting, his highest scoring game since he tore his right ACL in 2021. Paul George had 34 points on 9-18 field goal shooting, plus 10 rebounds and five assists. That tied for George's sixth highest scoring output in 46 games played this season. The efficient, high scoring games by Leonard and George with Russell Westbrook as the starting point guard are not surprising: many great players have had their best games--and best seasons--playing alongside Westbrook, who is one of the best point guards ever at pushing the pace to find open teammates. Westbrook finished with 17 points, 14 assists, and five rebounds in 39 minutes in his Clippers debut. His plus/minus number was +3, and he tied the franchise record for most assists by a player in his first game with the team. He committed a game-high seven turnovers, and he fouled out in the second overtime, the only two blemishes on an otherwise excellent performance; look for those two numbers to be headline material for some commentators, the same commentators who will neglect to mention that the Clippers enjoyed a 175-169 lead with 1:49 remaining when Westbrook received his sixth foul. That late collapse with Westbrook on the bench hints at his value, and at how much the Clippers desperately need his point guard skills to organize their attack.
After the game, the Clippers did not make excuses or search for scapegoats, a marked contrast from the behavior of the town's other NBA team. George praised the team's recent acquisition of Westbrook: "We needed a point guard. We needed somebody that you saw tonight, somebody to get us in offense, somebody to get us easy baskets and a floor general. That was just a necessity that we needed."
This is not about spinning a one point loss in a high scoring game to assert that the Clippers are now poised to win the NBA title; this is about noting that (1) Westbrook is far from washed up (contrary to the propaganda being spewed against him), (2) Westbrook's skills--when properly utilized--match up very well with what the Clippers need, and (3) there is good reason to believe that Leonard and George will become more prolific and efficient than ever with Westbrook running the show. The Clippers have to prove that they can stay healthy, and they have to demonstrate consistent physicality/commitment to defense, but anyone who is reflexively anointing the Phoenix Suns as the most difficult team to guard after the acquisition of Kevin Durant may want to keep an eye on the Clippers.
Labels: De'Aaron Fox, Kawhi Leonard, L.A. Clippers, Malik Monk, Paul George, Russell Westbrook, Sacramento Kings
posted by David Friedman @ 11:11 AM
4 Comments:
2-1, lakers... 0-3, clippers... post russ records...
Jackson 188:
That is not only a small sample size but it is not correct. Westbrook's last game with the Lakers was the Oklahoma City loss on 2/7. The Lakers have gone 5-3 since that time (including tonight's win against the Thunder).
There is a reason that I wrote an article titled "A Way Too Early Assessment of the New Look Lakers," and there is a reason that I am working right now on a similar article about the Clippers: you cannot fairly assess these teams after just a handful of games.
I will say this, though: I predict that Westbrook will have more playoff wins, points, rebounds, and assists than LeBron James in 2023.
But yet, you do write about small size samples a lot, including these articles. So, which is it? Your readers are confused.
Anonymous:
I must admit, you do sound confused. Let me help. Note that this article is a game recap analyzing what happened in a specific game. I did not just mention a team's record in a small sample size of games without providing any context. In fact, I explicitly stated, "This is not about spinning a one point loss in a high scoring game to assert that the Clippers are now poised to win the NBA title; this is about noting that (1) Westbrook is far from washed up (contrary to the propaganda being spewed against him), (2) Westbrook's skills--when properly utilized--match up very well with what the Clippers need, and (3) there is good reason to believe that Leonard and George will become more prolific and efficient than ever with Westbrook running the show. The Clippers have to prove that they can stay healthy, and they have to demonstrate consistent physicality/commitment to defense, but anyone who is reflexively anointing the Phoenix Suns as the most difficult team to guard after the acquisition of Kevin Durant may want to keep an eye on the Clippers."
Do you now understand the difference between analyzing one game and placing that game in a larger context versus just writing, "2-1, lakers... 0-3, clippers... post russ records..."? The latter statement is not only incorrect (as noted above) but it is devoid of any context.
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