The Clipper bench picked up right where it left off
Coming into Tuesday’s matchup, there was a lot of talk regarding which team had the better depth. The answer to that question was always the LA Clippers, and they demonstrated that last night.
The Clippers’ bench outscored that of the Lakers 60-19 on opening night, with Lou Williams leading the way with 21 points, five rebounds, seven assists and a steal.
Once again, the Lou/Trezz pick-and-roll proved unstoppable. Within the early moments of the game, the two were already going to work in the paint, as Harrell’s first two buckets of the game were easy jams. He finished with an impressive line of his own, recording 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block in a game-high 38 minutes of action. Harrell was also a game-high +15.
Two of LA’s offseason acquisitions had pretty huge games off the bench, too. JaMychal Green and Maurice Harkless rounded out the nine-man rotation that Doc Rivers sent out Tuesday night, and each had a fantastic game.
Green got things going early for the Clippers and made several timely buckets, all of which came from three-point range. He finished with 12 points and six rebounds in 19 minutes while shooting 4-7 from beyond the arc.
Harkless had a solid offensive game as well, but where he really showed up was on the defensive side of the floor.
The two-way wing recorded four steals and two blocks in his Clippers debut, along with 10 points and four rebounds. One of those steals resulted in an easy bucket that cut the Lakers’ lead to two early in the second quarter, and Harkless sank a three-pointer a few possessions later that tied the game up at 34.
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It’s certainly arguable that the Clippers bench actually got better over the summer, and guys like Harkless are the reason why. LA was also without Rodney McGruder for last night’s game, who could be another big two-way contributor off the bench.
It’s very early, but until another team proves otherwise, it’s looking like the Clippers will again have the league’s best bench as we progress through the regular season.