Just two nights after overcoming a 15-point deficit against the Brooklyn Nets, the LA Clippers had a repeat performance on Monday night in Atlanta.
Last night’s matchup with the Atlanta Hawks had all the makings of a trap game. The LA Clippers were fresh off a hard-fought victory over the Brooklyn Nets, and were in the midst of a four-game winning streak. The Hawks, on the other hand, had lost seven in a row and came into the night owning the league’s worst defense. Their offense wasn’t much better, either.
Therefore, you would think it should have been an easy win.
Unfortunately though, nothing comes easy in the NBA, and the Clippers were again on their heels entering the fourth quarter.
Down 89-96, the Clippers outscored the Hawks by a 15-point margin in the fourth quarter to take down Atlanta, 127-119. The final tally was the same as LA’s previous game against the Nets, as was the fourth quarter effort.
Los Angeles was led by Montrezl Harrell and Tobias Harris, who combined for 49 points, 19 rebounds, six steals, and four blocks. Harrell’s five steals were a career-high, as were his 15 makes from the free throw line (on just 18 attempts). However, it was Mike Scott who was arguably the player of the game for the Clippers.
Scott scored 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting from three-point range, and added another seven rebounds in his best effort of the young season. His six makes from deep tied a career-high, and his 12 attempts set a new high mark. He’s knocking down 46.5 percent of his attempts from three-point land this season, and has been performing well above his pay grade.
SIX @mikescott 3-pointers for your viewing pleasure. pic.twitter.com/hEFGPv3SSg
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) November 20, 2018
Unsurprisingly, Lou Williams had another big night as well, going for 16 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. It was his second double-double of the season, and the 13th time he’s scored at least 16 points. He’s yet to put up a single-digit scoring performance this year.
Despite these great performances, the Hawks didn’t make it easy on the Clippers. Rookie point guard Trae Young tied with Harrell for a game-high 25 points, and dished out a career-high 17 assists in the process. Second-year forward John Collins had 18 points and six assists in just over 20 minutes, and wing Taurean Prince added another 21 points in his return from an achilles injury that held him out of the previous two games.
The Clippers have a quick turnaround time, as they’ll take on the crumbling Washington Wizards tonight on the road. The Wiz are just 5-11 this season, and have what could be considered the league’s worst defense. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 PM PST.