In a devastating blowout Saturday night, the LA Clippers left the Suns on an 0-3 run in what was a brutal display of what this new Clippers team is capable of this season.
The Starters
Two games into the regular season, the LA Clippers are proving that they are a force to be reckoned with. Blake Griffin, who was crowned player of the game, was able to put a beating on the Suns’ weaker defense. Griffin finished with a total of 29 points, he grabbed 8 boards and pulled in 8 assists. He was playing tough, making smart moves; he seemed to have completely dissected the defense.
But it wasn’t only Blake who tore this defense apart. Patrick Beverly kept his fellow Clippers extremely active in the second and third quarter before he was benched for foul trouble. Mr. 94 Feet walked away with 15 points, 2, rebounds, 2 assists and 6 steals! Beverly was quick, mean, and he held nothing back. His energy and momentum was infectious throughout the entirety of the team and it showed. DeAndre Jordan, who’s arguably one of the best bigs at running the court, controlled the paint grabbing 13 rebounds, and putt up a respectful 6 points along with some great highlight plays.
https://twitter.com/LAClippers/status/921939992313655296
In addition, Gallinari garnered an impressive 12 points, 8 rebounds and 1 assist. Milos Teodosic, who only played 10 minutes due to an unknown injury to his left foot, scored 5 points and left the game with 2 assists in the second quarter. He’ll be having an MRI on Sunday. Check back to Clipperholics for injury updates.
The Bench
Aside from the starters who controlled the pace of the entire game; the bench and the rookies also played their parts. Lou Williams was able to shoot 53.8% from the field, and 40% from beyond the arch; getting him a total of 18 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists. Willie Reed who seems to be taking after DeAndre Jordan…
Willie ballin.
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) October 22, 2017
10 points & counting off the bench! pic.twitter.com/HTPaJc6i0I
…had a fantastic night, keeping lob city alive and well. He went on to score 12 points, 4 rebounds and snuck away with 1 steal.
Austin Rivers seems to be struggling with his game lately. He was only able to score 5 points. He did manage to walk away with 3 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal. I’m going to go ahead and say it; Austin doesn’t need to be shooting the ball. It’s clear that he is a much better defender and play maker and I really hope he focuses on that instead of the drive. He only shot 28.6% from the field, and on top of that he only managed to knock down 1 of 4 from the free throw line. Luckily the new additions to the team were able to keep the lead far ahead into the 4th quarter. Sam Dekker shot 3-6 (50%) from the field, adding 7 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists to the box score.
The Keys
A lot went right last night as the Clippers pulled a shade over the Suns. Whether it was the ball movement, the communication, or just pure aggressiveness; when the Clippers play this way it’s going to be extremely difficult for anyone to stop them. Blake Griffin & co. are proving that without Chris Paul they can still be a dominating team. But the difference is that they aren’t relying on one person. Instead they’re trusting each other and that’s been one of their greatest benefactors these last two games. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that the Suns are just flat out awful.
In Closing
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If you didn’t know this already, this new Clippers team is not to be taken lightly! They have a lot to prove this season, and so far they’re doing an amazing job. But don’t get me wrong, the Clippers do have some things they need to work on and there’s no way around that aside from work. But they are making the point known that any team on the West should be wary when they face the Clippers. They’ve developed into a smart, strong, and aggressive team and I see them making a huge impact on the league this season. Next game, Tuesday, Oct. 24th, the Clippers will be seeing the Utah Jazz. The team that eliminated them in the first round during last year’s playoffs. I don’t know about you, but I expect great things this Tuesday.
In the meantime, check out the highlights from last night’s game and don’t forget to follow @ClipperholicsFS on Twitter for live tweets during the game.