HIt’s been a long time since the direct confrontation in the city of Los Angeles has only one color. And it is strange, because it is not at all the gold and purple of the rings, championships and pennants of the Lakers. It is the red, blue and black of the Clippers, who exercise tyranny every time they are measured. Also with an important objective, such as being a Playoff team without having to go through the Play-In. The Clippers did not give an option to a broken Lakers (125-118).
A whole curse. It’s 11 ‘battles of Los Angeles’ in a row that the Clippers win. Matching the all-time high. And it is important for the protagonists, the players. “Whether they recognize it or not, it’s important. We have a lot of ‘hype’ to play and it’s a rivalry that is present today. Definitely, I get up for games like this,” said Paul George, star of the Clippers and trained in the streets of the Angels.
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We get up to play games like this
Despite equality, the Clippers were better. With more energy and legs than some Lakers in ‘back-to-back’. In the third quarter, a good LeBron appeared (30 points (33 total) in the second half) after a disastrous first half, and he was able to tighten things up. But the Clippers were in command. Bones Hyland broke the game with two triples and a good tackle. Mann supported with another and Kawhi Leonard closed his great night (25) with a magnificent dunk on the counter.
Victory for the Clippers, and heading to the Playoffs directly. Being, precisely, Kawhi Leonard his great argument. It looks like it joins the two keys. The physical one, because for the first time since game 7 of the 2013 finals he played every minute of a second half. And that of the game, he is already the only player in the league with more than 20 points on average, shooting at least 50% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc.
The Lakers, although they were able to make up the game, were far from their defensive intensity and game reading of the tour games. Surpassed by Kawhi, with no solutions to be able to stop a good Norman Powell (27) or the eruption of Hyland (16+7). They are still in Play-In positions, but they will not be entirely happy.
