Say what you want about the NBA Cup, but some extra stakes seem to have prompted good basketball on Halloween.
Coming into the game, the Pelicans were searching for not only their first NBA Cup win, but their first win of the season.
The Clippers entered the contest desperate to bounce back from a horrible performance against the Warriors three days prior, in which the offense looked simply confused in a 79-98 loss.
Both teams stayed true to their signature brands of basketball in what was a neck-and-neck game for most of the first half.
Forward Zion Williamson’s immense paint gravity collapsed the defense, and that created catch-and-shoot 3-point opportunities for forwards Trey Murphy III (17 points, 5-for-10 3-point), Herbert Jones (11 points, 3-for-4 3-point) and Jordan Poole (30 points, 7-for-13 3-point). The Clippers relied on guard James Harden to be their offensive engine, with center Ivica Zubac cleaning up inside and forward Kawhi Leonard being a late-clock, mid-post finisher.
Indeed, it was Harden — who finished with 24 points and 14 assists — that turned the tide of this game late in the second quarter. In the last four minutes of the second quarter, the veteran guard hit three consecutive three-pointers, one of which turned into a four-point play. This flurry, accompanied with more than a few lobs thrown to forwards John Collins and Derrick Jones Jr., sent the Clippers to halftime with a 67-59 lead.
That was a lead that the Clippers would retain for most of the second half. The Pels wouldn’t tie the game until six minutes remained in the fourth quarter, but the Clippers quickly grew the lead again, and they were ahead 124-117 with just over a minute left on the clock.
With their backs against the wall, Williamson took matters into his own hands, starting and ending a 7-0 run by converting a tough and-one and then sinking two clutch free throws to bring the teams even at 124 with just 10 seconds remaining.
Then, with the entirety of the Intuit Dome on its feet, Derrick Jones Jr. pushed the ball down the length of the court, flipped it to Kawhi Leonard at the top of the key; Leonard took one dribble, pump faked, and sank a buzzer-beating 20-footer over three Pelican defenders to send Clippers fans home in jubilation.
It goes without saying that Harden and Leonard executing their respective roles as offensive engine and late-game shotmaker remains essential to the Clippers’ success.
Perhaps a more interesting takeaway is the importance of LA’s third- and fourth-leading scorers in this game, forward duo Derrick Jones Jr. and John Collins. Both of these wings provide exciting punches of athleticism on both sides of the ball that are evidently needed on a team that otherwise is, frankly, geriatric.
Their switchable presence on defense in a unit alongside Leonard and guard Kris Dunn was very capable of creating turnovers. Meanwhile, their high-efficiency inside scoring and vertical capabilities contributed greatly to LA posting an efficient team true shooting of 58.9%.
It was cohesive basketball due to contributions from stars and role players alike that put the Clippers in a position to win. That’s a recipe they’ll look to keep executing as they look to take on the Miami Heat at home on Nov. 3.