Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers welcomed the Charlotte Hornets back to Staples Center Saturday. Charlotte had just come off a hard-fought loss to the Clippers’ crosstown rivals, the Lakers. The Clippers were also looking to get back in the win column, and their effort was every bit the indicator.
PG wastes no time
The Clippers got off to a fast start, with Paul George and Reggie Jackson making an offensive impact early on. Missed shots seemed like a foreign concept to George, who already had 12 points with over 4 minutes left in the first. Exceptional shooting from the Clips put them up by 14 over Charlotte, who had little answer for their early run. A better performance is hard to come by, as the Clippers shot an astounding 71 percent from the floor. Their offensive clinic gave them a comfortable 37-21 lead heading into the second.
Charlotte kept up with the Clippers in the second but could not find a way to cut into their lead. Rookie LaMelo Ball was quiet in the first half for Charlotte, and most Hornets players followed suit. Gordon Hayward was the only one to score more than 6 points for his team in the half. Meanwhile, the Clippers continued to click on all cylinders and went up by as much as 21 points. They have a 17-1 record this season when leading by 20 or more at any point of the game.
George’s hot hand led him to 18 points at the half, including a triple just before time expired. Kawhi Leonard and Lou Williams each chipped in 10. After a near-flawless half, the Clippers took a 66-44 lead into halftime.
Different half, same result
A quick 5 to 0 run for the Clips to start the third looked like a scary sight, but Charlotte answered with 6 straight points of their own. After a timeout, Ty Lu’s team woke up and put their feet back on the gas. Midway through the quarter, they pushed to their biggest lead up to that point with a 28-point cushion. Despite Charlotte’s fight, it did little for them in their quest to close in on the Clippers, who dominated them in the paint. The Clippers outscored Charlotte inside, 56-30. Another note-worthy bit of praise, they shot a perfect 23 for 23 as a team from the charity stripe.
By the middle of the fourth, Coach Lu felt the Clips had a wide enough margin to pull his stars. This is usually the time – widely known as ‘garbage time’ – that the losing team cuts into the deficit to make the final score more respectable. However, the Clippers’ bench finished the job with no drop-off. L.A. (27-16) claimed a 125-98 bruising of a victory over Charlotte (20-21) for a quality win worth building off of.
A barrage of production
The Clippers’ balanced effort shed a light on how dangerous they could be, as 7 players scored in double figures. With point guard Patrick Beverly out, George led the way with 21 points, 10 assists, and 5 rebounds. Kawhi Leonard added 17 to go with 4 steals, and Terance Mann poured in 16 off the bench. Lou Williams also made came in and made his presence felt with 15 points, and veteran Nicolas Batum made an impact against his former team with 11.
“Give the Clippers a ton of credit,” Hornets coach James Borrego said. “They’re a heck of a team… This season has been a grind. We’ve got a young group that’s played a lot of minutes, and they continue to show up every night, keep battling and keep playing.”
Miles Bridges was the high man for Charlotte, dropping 21 points off the bench. Despite sustaining a wrist injury, Ball woke up a little in the second half and ended the game with 13 points. Gordan Hayward finished with 17.
The Clippers face off next against the Atlanta Hawks Monday at 7:00 p.m. PST.
