Another potential NBA Finals preview was set as the LA Clippers were looking to solidify themselves on both ends of the court versus the Brooklyn Nets. Although the Clippers had a tough comeback attempt against the Nets, they couldn’t finish the game with a win. The final result was a 112-108 loss to the Nets that included a controversial offensive foul call against Kawhi Leonard on James Harden.
Now the LA Clippers (22-10) will take on the Washington Wizards (11-17) who are on a hot streak of five great wins including the 127-124 overtime win against the Los Angeles Lakers (22-9) last night. The Wizards have beaten the Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, and the Lakers.
The Wizards are coming into this game against the LA Clippers on a five-game win streak due to the tremendous performances from guards Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook. There is going to be some major concern while playing against the Wizards tonight. The Clippers are hosting a team on a serious hot streak against high-caliber teams. The Clippers also allowed huge performances to Nets guards Harden and Kyrie Irving on Sunday night.
The LA Clippers are coming into this game completely healthy and as a 12-point favorite over Washington. Despite these two huge positive attributes for the Clippers, that should be thrown out as they need to use this time of the season to develop their efficiency on both ends of the court especially after a tough loss to the Nets. Here are three big questions for the Clippers as they take on the Wizards tonight.
LA Clippers Pregame Question #3: Will the Role Players Bounce Back Against Washington?
Going into the game against the Nets, the LA Clippers knew they would need a dominant offensive performance to keep up with and potentially win. There were several reasons why the Clippers were not able to come out of Sunday night with a win over the Nets, but one of the biggest was the full lack of impact from the role players – effectively everyone outside of Leonard and Paul George.
Leonard and George combined for 63 points shooting 21-for-38 on field goals, 9-for-18 from the three-point arc, and 12-for-18 from the free-throw line. Outside of the dynamic duo, the rest of the Clippers combined for 45 points shooting 19-for-49, 6-for-17 from the three-point arc, and 1-for-4 from the free-throw line.
One player that might receive a mulligan was backup center Ivica Zubac, who scored 13 points shooting 6-for-7 on field goals. Zubac was much better playing the Nets last game compared to their previous matchup against the Nets, as he was rebounding more consistently and helped make shots.
Players like shooting guard Lou Williams played better in crunch time but played flat in the third quarter. The LA Clippers will need all of their players to play more efficiently as the Wizards have played more consistent defense in the last five games. Washington’s defense ranks third in the NBA in field goal percentage allowed (43.5%) in the last five games. The Wizards have composed themselves on the defensive end of the court against different styles of offense in the last five games.
Marcus Morris Sr. will look to bounce back after a rare inconsistent game after scoring five points shooting 2-for-7 on field goals. Head coach Ty Lue will continue to allow guard Terance Mann to gain more confidence after a rough game on both ends of the court. Finally, starting point guard Patrick Beverley will look to bounce back in a big way on the defensive end of the court as he will be put up against Westbrook.