March 19, 2025 • 51 mins
Adam takes calls from Clipper Nation, and shares the biggest takeaways from a dominant win over the Charlotte Hornets at Intuit Dome.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Phone in.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
We're taking your calls on the LA Clippers right now.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
This is Clippers.
Speaker 3 (00:06):
Talk on Aaron on Demand, the Clippers Show of Record,
your chance to react to everything.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Clippers Clippers news happens.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Let me guess it's about Kawhi. Here we are and
now here he is the host of your LA Clippers
pre and postgame at follow Adam a Adam Osley.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Clippers creating a little bit of buzz after a one
forty three to eighty eight victory over the Charlotte Hornets
where they have now won six of their last seven games.
Welcome in to the Clipper Stock live from into It Dome.
I'm out a Moslin. Okay, i'ming up. We'll get to
your phone calls at eight sixty six nine eight seven
two five seventy eight six six nine eight seven two
five seventy will also bring you some postgame audio from
(00:46):
Coach Lou and the players after the Clippers just completely
dominate and win by thirty five over the Charlotte Hornets,
when the game where they led by as many as
thirty eight. Here it into a Dome. There are times
during a long regular season where I think a blowout
victory like This isn't that helpful, doesn't tell you that
(01:09):
much about your team. This is not one of them.
This was necessary, This was needed. This validates what we've
been seeing as of late from the Clippers. This confirms
a lot of the good play that we've seen against
better teams, and it carried over into what you would
(01:31):
expect against a bad team who, by the way, just
had an abysmal shooting night. Some of this is the
Clippers defense. Some of this is the law of averages
going against the Charlotte Hornets, because they hit twenty six
to three pointers their last game against San Antonio, the
record is twenty nine. Tonight, they went six of thirty
three from the outside. So if everybody's saying Clippers luck
(01:55):
hot shooting, the opposition always finds the bottom of the
net against the Clippers outliers shooting. Not tonight, Not this time.
This was the Clippers team being helped out by the
law of averages going in their favor. Kind of a
big deal. One of the reasons you get a lopside
(02:18):
victory like this. The Clippers were good, they were very good.
The Charlotte Hornets were also just miserable shooting the basketball.
They shot thirty nine percent from the field and eighteen
percent from three, and nobody scored more than eighteen points.
That would be Mark Williams who had eighteen and fifteen. Meanwhile,
the Clippers, I saw a lot of guys heating up
(02:41):
at different times. It starts with James Harden, though that
first quarter from James. We've seen it a lot this season.
He has been the Clippers MVP. He has been that
steady force for them, getting them set up on the
offensive side, running the show, being a system, insade these system,
he said, a system Harden got. Things started with the
(03:04):
mid range sploater on the left elbow. Then it stepped
back three, another floater, three from the far side. It's
twenty to thirteen Clippers after they let I want to say,
nine to two, and then it was tied up at
eleven to eleven, and then they really pulled away. He
had nan one down the left alley to make it
(03:26):
twenty six sixteen and had fifteen points in the first
quarter in the opening period, setting the tone. Not everybody
else had it going. James Harden kind of said, I'm
gonna be hot tonight. Don't worry about it. I'll start
five of seven and two of three from the outside
(03:46):
to get to those fifteen points. Clippers won the first
quarter thirty two to twenty one. I also think we
got some good stuff from Bogie near the second half
of the first quarter when he came in early for
Norman Powell. Welcome back Norm. He struggled, he was rusty.
Doesn't matter. They need him moving forward desperately and they
(04:07):
need him to catch a rhythm. More about that, but
Bogie came in, had a little eurostep transition, bucket, then
knocked down a three pointer. Didn't play heavy minutes, just nineteen,
but had seven points three or four shooting one on
one from the outside. Clippers in the second quarter ran
into a little bit of trouble where at one point
(04:28):
I believe they had missed six straight shots to start
off the second But then Kawhi after starting zero three
in this game, he missed a right elbow jumper over
bridges early on the mellow went around a screen for
a floater on him. He was short on a mid
range shot. There was a transition played the other way.
(04:52):
Second quarter, he misses a midi long. His first bucket
was a fade away at the eight forty five mark
of the second over Miles bridges, then another fade away
over bridges, then Kawhi a straightaway three off a zoos
screen made it forty three to thirty two. The Clippers
were starting to pull away. Kawhi a layup in transition,
(05:16):
a swooping layup where he got hit on the head
by LaMelo Ball. No call, you almost hit him in
the neck, it was. It was a pretty obvious one
and Kawhi couldn't get the call. Didn't really sell it either.
Did say something to the officials later. But the Clippers
at the half, after getting eleven points in that second
(05:38):
quarter from Kawhi, are up twenty four. So they outscored
the Hornets in the first half by a point per
minute to lead by twenty four. After the first twenty
four minutes. It's sixty five to forty one Clippers at
the half. James Harden has twenty three. He had eight
more points in that second quarter beats a zoobox. He's
(05:59):
already had eleven in and five assists. Zuo was dishing
out there. Kawhi had eleven, so make it he had
nine points in that second quarter. Correction there not eleven
had eleven points of the half, but after missing his
first three shots, I believe he hit his next six
(06:22):
out there. Kawhi was good, real good. There were some
tough shots that he hit in the third quarter. First
of all, got an easy one on a back cut
free feed from James Harden to start the period. Then
Harden hits a three. Then Kawhi hits a three. The
(06:44):
Clippers are up thirty. Then he would finally miss. So
from the span of the end of the second into
the third quarter, Kawhi had hit six straight shots after
missing his first three shots at the game, he finished
nine of sixteen, so he went nine for his last
thirteen to get his twenty three points. But it was
really good to see. I often say this with Kawhi.
(07:06):
It's like he's sighting the scope and the accuracy comes.
Eventually he's a little bit wide right and a little
bit wide left, and then he centers it and then
he just can't miss. That's when Kawhi is at his
best and just looks unstoppable and sees through defenders on
those jump shots. But there's not much more important to
(07:31):
this Clippers team than Kawhi. Leonard obviously looking like himself.
We've been talking about this for a while, and I
thought tonight was another step in the right direction. Twenty
three points in just twenty seven minutes. He also had
five assists. The Clippers almost assisted on seventy percent of
their made field goals. They had thirty assists to forty
five made field goals, thirteen of twenty six from the outside.
(07:52):
They're shooting fifty percent from three, and Kawhi was three
or four. So we've been watching that. How do his
legs look from distance? From deep? Does he have the
lift we did tonight? It just took three shots to
get him out of his system and then he centered
the scope and then he was on target. That is
(08:15):
a dangerous version of the claw. Now, I'm still gonna
say his play has been somewhat up and down, and
I need to see more, but he is trending in
the right direction. If you look overall of the numbers
in March from Kawhi Leonard and his averages, I believe
(08:37):
he was averaging twenty three coming into this ballgame in
March twenty four. I think that's now included on his
ESPN game log. But he's played seven games in March.
He had thirty three, his highest scoring game, that second
game against the Lakers twenty one against Phoenix, where he
(08:59):
looked I think even better than he did against the Lakers.
That dunk he had on Nick Richards was probably the
most explosive play he's had this season. I thought through
the first three quarters, remember the Clippers were up by
twenty three, that was the best he had looked. Then
he struggled a little bit at times against the Knicks,
twenty points on six of eighteen shooting, struggled against the
(09:21):
Kings till he hit the game winner seven to nineteen
against seventeen points against New Orleans. I thought he looked
really good for three quarters, but he wasn't aggressive in
the fourth, still finished with twenty nine. Clippers lost that game,
though to a hot shooting, hot shooting Pelicans team, and
then he played with a much more force in pop
(09:42):
against Atlanta. I would say with his twenty five points
on twenty one shots, but I like seeing him get
up twenty one shots, and he had a couple of
really spectacular layups, but he was just one of four
from three in that game. Well tonight he goes three
or four at twenty three points in twenty seven minutes,
so he was on his way to a thirty spot,
(10:04):
but the Clippers were up by thirty. He didn't need
to play much good to see. I think this helps
their confidence knowing that, Okay, we're dismantling teams. We're getting
back to that point where we're handling bad teams the
way we should in just annihilating the Charlotte Hornson. This
(10:28):
game fourth game this season where the opponent was held
under ninety points. Hornets at eighty eight second lowest opponent
three point percentage on the season at what eighteen percent?
The low would be Sacramento win seventeen point five percent
(10:50):
from three against them back in November and then it
was their season high and offensive rebounds was seventeen the Clippers.
They had seventeen second chance points off those seventeen offensive rebounds.
There were times where Charlotte was getting multiple offensive rebounds.
(11:11):
They had one possession where they had three opportunities in
the first half, but the Clippers got three stops. They
ended up with eleven offensive rebounds. There's really no area
where the Clippers were glaringly bad. They had just ten turnovers,
and guys, I've been telling you they have cut down
(11:33):
on the turnovers in a big way post All Star Break,
where they have been averaging around twelve per game. So
while they have been struggling in some areas and losing
ball games out of the All Star Break, there was
this dirty little secret that you know, they're getting better
taking care of the basketball. Now, if you can marry
(11:55):
that with some better shooting from the outside, is the Clippers.
You know, we're struggling at times from three, while other
teams coming out of the All Star Break we're knocking
down everything, then they could be in business. So now
we're starting to see what happens with a Clippers team
that offensively is playing better and they're still taking care
(12:20):
of the basketball. Really good to see James Harden just
two turnovers, seven assists. Now, he did have six last
game against Atlanta, but all six came in the first half.
Second half zero. What happened? They blew him out in
the second half. Atlanta is a better basketball team than
the Hornets. Obviously, Hornets are in seems like a perpetual rebuild.
(12:43):
Michael Jordan not the best talent evaluator. I don't think
he's a minority owner anymore, but responsible for some of
the lack of talent, but look, they've also had a
ton of injuries this season. You know, Brandon Miller breaking
his wrist. I think it was was a tough blow
(13:06):
for them. Grant Williams, I think tearing his acl was tough.
So while they're rebuilding, they're also having these difficult injuries
to work through. And the bright spot has been LaMelo
at times, but he's inefficient, I think mostly because the
team he's on. Miles Bridges had been playing really well though.
(13:28):
I think he'd been averaging thirty over the last couple
of weeks, and he was completely held in check to
just seven points tonight, and the Melow just had sixteen
on five of eighteen shooting. Bridges just took ten shots
and was three of ten, one of seven from three.
This is the game where you have to say, to
some degree, the law of averages played in the Clippers
(13:52):
favor with a hot shooting team that maybe got all
that hot shooting out of their system against San Antonio,
because tonight they were ice cold for three six of
thirty three. When they're coming off a game where they
hit twenty six threes, it might've been a franchise record. Obviously,
it was a season high for them. I mean the
all time record twenty nine. They hit twenty six trees.
That's crazy. Clippers win one twenty three to eighty eight
(14:14):
over the Charlotte Hornets. Hear it into a Dome. We'll
take a quick time out, we'll come back. We'll get
to your phone calls at eight six six nine eight
seven two five seventy eight six six nine eighty seven
two five seventy I'm outa Moslin and you're listening to
AM five seventy LA Sports.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
Throws it up the window finishes in the fowl Los
Angeles Slipper Nation.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
This is your home for the LA Clippers. LA Clippers.
Take us with you on the Ihearts radio app.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Clippers with a decisive victory over the Charlotte Hornets. Here
at into a Dome one twenty three to eighty eight
is your final welcome back in I'm out of Moslin.
This is Clippers sock here on seventy LA Sports. Eight
six six five nine is the phone number giving out
that one for KiB eight six Demetrius in La Demetrius.
(15:10):
What's up here on clipper stopt for that am auzl
Hi Demetrius.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Adam, I love cooling the game, and I love Casey
and the sunshine. Ben Man, you you got a lot
of rhythm going here. Uh, it's just amazing. Long time.
I don't think I spoke to you in a couple
of weeks for expenish few games. Very excited. It seemed
like you've been a coach, Adam, because you you hit
right on the money when we talk about big zoos,
(15:34):
you've been. You got the receipt. And I keep hating
to keep bringing up Big Zoo because of the phenomenal
job that he's been doing and we've been talking about
give him acclimated in the game. He makes the game
much easier and then also it gives him a ton
a ton of a ton of credit moving forward, especially
(15:58):
going forward into the play I just love what this
team is doing.
Speaker 5 (16:03):
Now.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
The elite defense is showing up. We talked about all
four players now welcome back Pow. All four players been
in double digits. I think that's what I wanted to
speak to you about, is that now we have four
players going into the playoffs in double digits. With the
bench that we have, with the defense playing eleat defense,
(16:26):
I think we're going to be in a real serious
situation here, and I think moving forward, I think we
got about what fourteen games to go. I'm hoping we
can go eleven and three, twelve and two. I know
it's a push because of the back to backs, but
I truly believe that, Adam, we got something going here.
What do you think.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
To me? Jeers? I appreciate the phone call. I'm with you.
I like the way they're playing defensively the last three games,
holding the Heat to one oh four, holding and to
ninety eight, now holding the Charlotte Hornets to eighty eight points.
It looks like they're getting back to their defensive principles
and getting back to that defensive intensity on that end
(17:11):
that we saw early on this season throughout the majority
of the season, but they haven't been as good the
last month or so on the defensive side. That's really
encouraging to me. And then if you can merge that
great defense with them having more talent on the offensive end,
with Kawhi being back and now norm being back, that's how,
(17:34):
all of a sudden you get to a place where
this Clippers team can be extremely dangerous and looked like
what we had hoped to see early on with Kawhi,
which is a team that's a top five defensive team,
and then can they get to be in a top
ten offensive team when Kawhi is back. Well, they have
been better as of late on the offensive end. They
(17:55):
have won six of seven. It's starting to trend that way.
I know, you guys can't hear the audio. I'm not
into a dome. You can never hear the audio when
I bring up callers, unfortunately from Burbank what I'm here,
I know it's a problem, but I'll just try to
transcribe some of what our callers said. Demetrius, he's asking
(18:18):
about how I feel about the Clippers, how I feel
about him right now. He's hoping they can go eleven
and three the last fourteen games of the season, and
the state of the team right now. They're in a
good place, but they're entering the eye of the storm.
And the schedule also the Clippers this week, it's not
(18:39):
just the Cavaliers on Tuesday, but then Friday you're taking
on Memphis and then Sunday you're taking on the Thunder.
So this is a four game homestand after that three
and one road trip they just came back from and
they'll head back out for an East Coast road trip,
so three tough games coming up, which is why getting
(18:59):
guys read and reacclimating somebody like Norman Powell in a
game like this where you you know, didn't have to
play high intensity, late clutch time basketball and have guys
with tired legs going into that game against the Cavaliers
was so important. And Colord Demetriz brought up Norman Powell
(19:20):
as well. Good to see him back. There was something
interesting that happened in the second half. Norm started the game,
as we expected, he didn't start the second half, so
he starts the game with the starting lineup of Kawhi,
DJ Zoo, Norman Powell, and James Harden. That starting lineup
(19:40):
has one of the best net ratings in the league.
They haven't been able to throw it out there enough
because of injuries going on, but that starting lineup with
DJ in there next to Norm, next to James Harden
next to Kawhi next to him each a Zubots has
been elite of the elite. They've been incredible this season
(20:04):
and I was interested to see interested to see which
way coach lou was going to go with Norm back.
I expected him to be in the starting lineup, But
who would be that fifth guy? Would it be Nico?
Would it be Chris Dunn? But he's out tonight unfortunately
Leftnie sore on us again coming out of the game
against Atlanta. So DJ gets the start, and it made
(20:30):
a lot of sense to me because the net rating
has been that good, so harden Kawhi, Norm Palabats Zubas,
Dereck Jones Junior. They have and I don't think this
includes tonight's minutes, but it might. I doubt it. They
have an offensive rating of one twenty six point eight
(20:50):
and a defensive rating of one oh one point six.
That's a net rating of twenty five point two in
one hundred and seventy four minutes, and for a while
in this may still be true. Of lineups that had
played one hundred and fifty minutes, they had the best
net rating in the league. I'd have to double check
on that, but at worst it's near the very top.
(21:13):
So it makes sense for DJ to be the fifth guy.
It makes sense to start Horn Pal, who's been their
leading scorer on the season. Some people were saying, oh,
is Norm really gonna start? Why would he not start?
He's averaged twenty four per game, but in the second half,
Coach Lou started Nikopatoom. Now I'm looking for postgame audio
(21:37):
from Coach Lou about that, but I think it was
to get him one long stint from the midway point
of the third quarter into the first half of the
fourth quarter where he wasn't coming in and out off
the hamstring, and he could get more time with some
(21:57):
of the others and role players out there. That's just
the rest of the starters who he's more familiar with. Anyways,
I think that was the point, because if you started
him in the third quarter, he might only play the
first eight to ten minutes of the third and then
his knight's done, and he hasn't played much with the
(22:17):
guys in the second unit in some of his new
teammates with Ben Simmons, with Bogie, with you Banks, I
think that's what they were doing. But we'll see. I'm
interested to hear from Coach low about that. Is it
something where he's gonna be tinkering with the starting lineup.
(22:39):
I just don't see how you take Norman Powell out
at this point with how good of a season he's had,
where you can make the argument, I think he had
a better year than Jay Dubb. He could have been starting,
or he could have been an All Star over Jalen Williams.
With the Thunder, Norm Spin, their leading scorer, their go
(23:04):
to guy a lot of the season, and the efficiencies there,
So you're gonna bring that guy off the bench? Does
that make sense to anybody? Someone's pointing out Powell starting
doesn't mean he A finishes or B starts every game
of every series. I mean maybe, but he's been finishing
(23:27):
before he was a starter. He was finishing games last season.
Remember the Powell Rangers lineup their most devastating lineup. He
has the best, some of the best clutch numbers, and
the best fourth quarter numbers in the league the last
two seasons. Norn Powell not even debatable, not even close.
(23:48):
He shot like close to sixty percent from the field
in fourth quarters last year and close to fifty percent
from three and then before he went out with injury,
he was around the same place in fourth quarters year
with those percentages. So how do you not have that
guy in, especially on a team that they've been great
(24:10):
defensively even with Norm pal starting. What they lack at
times is offensive punch play finishers on the offensive end.
Norm fits in so well because he doesn't need the
ball in his hands to cook. He doesn't need to
play with the basketball or over dribble. He just gets it,
shoots it, catch and shoot guy or off the dribble
(24:31):
guy going to his right quickly to the basket. That's
who Norm is. He doesn't dance much, he doesn't have
a huge bag. You don't need to. So while Kawhi
and James Harden are going io and if east the
Zubats might back down his man like he did tonight
(24:52):
against Musachia, Baze punished him. Norm is just quick decisions,
quick actions out there that's perfect to fit next to
this team with the way it's constructed. Clippers win by
thirty five over the Charlotte Hornets. And while we have
a moment, let's pause ten seconds for station identification. Here
(25:16):
on a five seventy LS Sports, this.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
Is La Clippers Basketball AM five seventy KLAC Los Angeles,
ninety seven kys R h D two Los Angeles, and
iHeartRadio station.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Harold in North Hollywood near on Clippers stock without a masa.
Speaker 6 (25:36):
You know what we call it, I see your your
tone drops it a little bit.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
Not at all, Harold in North Hollywood.
Speaker 5 (25:43):
Let's go, hey, Anam, I want to say that Daniel
is a nice guy. Is answered the phone and put
me on Look, you know, Clippers aside, that was a
big victory for.
Speaker 6 (26:00):
Against the Charlotte Hornets.
Speaker 7 (26:01):
You know where I'm going.
Speaker 6 (26:03):
The NBA has bigger problems, Adam, and nobody wants to
address it. I talked to you, you'll go out there.
The quality, the quality of the game is not when
I'm used to watching.
Speaker 4 (26:15):
It's older.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
The game is better than ever. You just listen to
pundits and analysts who are old timers that want to
crap on the game all the time because it makes
their era look better. I can't agree with you there,
I can't. I'm sorry.
Speaker 7 (26:29):
That's okay.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
There are more. There are more tough shot makers in
this league, guys who are more unguardable than ever. The
forty eight points we just show from Shake Gilds Alexander
yesterday in that game against Detroit. Some of the moves
he made are just basketball god stuff, stuff that players
in the past couldn't dream of doing. Incredible, untouched the.
Speaker 6 (26:52):
Game, Adam. The game has changed the three point play
is great, but I think it's changed the quality these
guys who shooting three is when it's so unnecessary and
they're cranking.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
Because they make them, No, they make them way more
than guys in the past, way more.
Speaker 6 (27:10):
What is per what's the percentage not the great ones
like Curry and Alexander? What's the percentage of most of
the players in the league on three point shots?
Speaker 2 (27:20):
Oh, league average is around thirty six percent, Harold, But
what if I told you this? What if I told
you the math works like this. If you're shooting thirty
three percent from three, which is three percent below league average,
that's the equivalent of shooting fifty percent from two. So
even when you're not shooting it that well, it still
(27:42):
is a decent shot.
Speaker 6 (27:45):
Okay, Okay, because it's worth.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
The extra point. It is the math. The math has
unlocked a different style of play, Okay, Like instead of
taking a lot of long twos like you used to
see in the NBA, they're still ping back two feet
and taking a shot that's worth a point more.
Speaker 8 (28:05):
Okay, that sounds that sounds cool, But what do we
I saw the Suns today against the Lakers, and I
saw the Hornets against the Clippers, it was almost unwatchable.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Well what about last game where the Hornets hit twenty
six threes? Like it?
Speaker 9 (28:23):
I could go the other way with it. I guess
there are some games where well, in NBA history there
it's a make or miss league. There are some games
where you're on more than others. You can't expect perfect
basketball every game, or just point to the bad games,
Harold and say, see the game isn't as good as
it used to be, or see this is unwatchable. It's like,
(28:43):
well was it watchable when they knock down twenty six threes?
Speaker 10 (28:47):
What's your record?
Speaker 2 (28:50):
There are a bad league. But it doesn't They're not
bad because they take threes. They're bad because they don't
have the most talent and they have a bunch of
guys bang.
Speaker 11 (29:00):
Up and banged up.
Speaker 8 (29:03):
I don't care if they hit them all in the line,
if they couldn't win.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
That has nothing to do with style of play, Harold.
There have always been bad teams in the league. I
can give you bad teams from yesteryear too. The Charlotte
Hornets are a bad team in today's league at seventeen
and fifty.
Speaker 10 (29:21):
That's nothing new, But he just said they scored twenty
six points the other day.
Speaker 6 (29:28):
They ain't scoring many points on threes.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
They said, hit twenty six threes the other day. Yes,
tonight they did not. It's kind of a lot of
hours things.
Speaker 8 (29:38):
Okay, Look, sure, I appreciate you.
Speaker 7 (29:41):
Let me talk.
Speaker 6 (29:42):
You're a good guy, Adam, and Daniels is a nice guy,
and we're not always going to agree at him. But
I respect your opinions.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
All right, I appreciate you, Harold. Thank you for the
phone call. We'll take a quick time out, we'll come back.
Clippers win over the Charlotte Hornets by thirty five, with
the final score one twenty three to eighty eight. Here
at into a dome as they get ready to take
on well the best team in the league, the Cleveland
Cavaliers on Tuesday night. Right back here seven thirty. Tip
(30:10):
pregame at six thirty. Madame oslin More clipperstock coming up
next year. On the M five seventy, LA Sports.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
Throws it up the window finishes in the fowl Los
Angeles Slipper Nation. This is your home for the LA Clippers.
LA Clippers take us with you on the Ihearts Radio app.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
Clippers Love the Charlotte Hornets one twenty three to eighty
eight with you for about twenty more minutes here on
Clippers Talk Live from Into a Dome im Madam Moslin
to eight six six ninety seven two five seventy eight
six six ninety eight seven two five seventy is the
phone number Clippers played a sound basketball game. The Charlotte
(30:50):
Hornets have seventeen victories on the season. They're struggling. Is
what happens when you have these two worlds collide. Where
the Clippers are ascending right now, the problems not quite
up the standings because there's two teams in front of
them that refuse to lose, in the Minnesota Timberwolves and
Golden State Warriors. But they are, as I've been talking
about for a week now, pretty secure in that eighth spot.
(31:14):
So at worst, I believe they're going to finish eighth,
which would put them in a playing game between the
team that finishes seventh, currently the Minnesota timber Wolves. They'd
have to go out on the road if they're the
eighth spot, though not easy. They've gone to Minnesota before
for a playing game back in twenty twenty two and
lost that one, but that was with Paul George. They
(31:35):
have Kawhi. He looked very good overall, very efficient out
there with his twenty three points in just twenty seven
minutes on nine of sixteen shooting. After he missed his
first three shots, he caught fire after that. Let's hear
from one of my favorites, got cleanse the Palette, Lenny
in Inglewood. Lenny, you're on Clippers stock without a most.
Speaker 7 (32:00):
Are you feeling what's saying?
Speaker 4 (32:03):
Man?
Speaker 7 (32:04):
Listen?
Speaker 2 (32:05):
Uh?
Speaker 7 (32:05):
Great win you know they they put the smack down
on them, which I'm glad, but you're not gonna like
what I'm about to say, because here's the deal. The
Clippers are finally Ryan the super Guard. They're finally coming
in in the forum. But we have not been we
have not beaten, okay, seeing about three years in about
two three years like a serious what they had everybody,
(32:28):
We had everybody. So these next three games we gotta go.
I don't care if we drop the Grizzlies, because we
already proved that we can get the Grizzlies, but getting
into getting into Cleveland, getting it, getting into that stuff
and then beaten okay, see, to me, are pretty much
damn near MUSC wins. We gotta we gotta be able
(32:49):
to show it to ourselves.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
That Cleveland and Okay see those are both must wins.
You want the Clippers to show show.
Speaker 7 (32:57):
Say again, I need you.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
To see them beat Cleveland and Okay see.
Speaker 7 (33:04):
Yes to so to to really believe that we're there,
or else I see another first second round, first round exit.
I mean we got to. I mean Kawhi is back.
And the thing I liked about Kawhi the last game
was those five steals. That to me says a lot
about his game because everybody knows that that in basketball
(33:26):
to do you know, defense is effort, is effort, effort, effort,
and the thing about you're gonna you're always gonna get
effort with Kawhi, So if he's healthy, he's gonna give
it to you. And it's contagious. You know, he gets
to steal and it just it begins to you know,
it's like begins to set off everybody. Everybody wants to steal,
everyoneants to get into it. So to me, we got it.
(33:46):
That's the most We gotta go. We gotta go to
and one one and all in three is a questioned.
But if we only beat one. I'm not happy with
Dad's I'm not believing it. We gotta win. We gotta
win two of these, man. And and the thing about
it is that, like Ia so I saw this article.
Speaker 11 (34:01):
To day, we gotta be It's like, we can do it.
We can still get that six spot if we get
if we go to win one with these next three,
the next three games.
Speaker 7 (34:09):
We'll be in that six spot. I know he will.
But like I said, I.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
Don't even know if mathematically, I don't know if that's
true mathematically. I gotta be honest with you, you know,
gold to say it's thirteen and one or something like
that with Jimmy Butler. Now they're not losing, yeah, I know, Yeah,
Minnesota's not losing either. I think they've won eight in
a row. So they need help. They don't control their
own destiny. They need help.
Speaker 7 (34:35):
Well, I'm talking about for our confidence level. We have
to beat we have to be some of the get we.
Speaker 11 (34:40):
Got we like I said, do we ain't beat Okay,
see in like two years. That's not good.
Speaker 7 (34:45):
That's that's not a good son.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
They've been the best team in the West trade years. Now.
I agree with you, man, We agree with you.
Speaker 7 (34:53):
All right. Well, like I said, well, I'm looking forward
to the game on Tuesday and dial then and uh,
you know, let's just go get it, man, I Dugs,
I'm ready, man, I think all the fans are ready.
I mean, they've done an amazing job this year. Van
Gundy has just been a god man. I mean even
Bogdanovich to talk about it to day, how he challenges
you and brings the best out. I hope he stays
(35:15):
with him another year. Lubok is a definite eighteen eighteen
twelve players, so he's right there where we need him.
And I mean it's there, man. We got all the
pieces we need, and we got still got the best coach,
one of the best coaches in the league. And like
I said, we gotta go to in one, man. We
have to go to in one.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
All right, Lenny. It's a high standard, but I get it.
If you want to feel like you're a contender, you
got to beat the top team. So it makes sense.
Appreciate it, Lenny. Clippers win by thirty five here adding
to a dome over the Charlotte Hornets, Lenny and Inglewood
saying he doesn't care if they lose a Memphis because
(35:55):
they beat him twice already. He's confident against them. I
am too. In a seven game series, it's the ideal
matchup in the first round. Of course, to get to
the first round series, they're probably gonna have to win
a playing game. It's them then Houston. To me, those
are the top two teams you want to see. But
(36:16):
to Lenny's point, they haven't beat the game they did win.
You know what, they did have one victory against OKC
where both teams were pretty fully loaded. That was last
season at Staples at Crypto where Kawhi had the block
on SGA late and it was a measuring stick type performance.
(36:38):
It was late December, early January, measuring stick performance. A
couple of them coming up, starting with Cleveland Tuesday night. Yeah,
if you want to believe this team is for real
and can beat anybody in play with anybody, they got
to prove it. The regular season matters. How you play
(37:01):
against them now matters, and it would give them a
ton of confidence if they could beat Cleveland and okay,
see this week they get them at home. I think
that would change a lot of Clippers fans' minds. I mean,
there's many people who have been doom and gloom, and
(37:22):
they only show up in the chat when the Clippers lose,
and they haven't been shown up as of late. And
I think it's because the Clippers are starting to prove
them wrong. They've won six of seven, they're not folding
on the season. Their defense is coming back, their offense
has been playing better. You merge those two things during business.
(37:45):
But we'll see Tuesday night, big test against the best
team in the league. I don't believe Carlo was bringing
this up earlier that Cleveland has lost two games in
a row this season, and they just lost to Orlando
tonight at home. So they're gonna be hungry. They're gonna
be up for that ball game. I think Evan Mobley
rested today. It's probably playing back in SOCl former Trojan,
(38:11):
I'd expect them to be playing. We'll take a quick
time out, we'll come back. We'll get back to your
phone calls. Eight sixty six nine eight seven two five
seventy eight six six nine eight seven two five seventy
is the phone number. Clippers win by thirty five. Here
into a dome over is struggling Charlotte Hornet's team. But
the Clippers are now won six to seven, and it
(38:32):
could have been seven in a row. You know the
game they lost in New Orleans where the Pelicans hit
eighteen threes and shot fifty five percent from the outside,
their best three point percentage of the season. The next
two games they shoot ten percent from three. Clippers luck
But tonight the Charlotte Hornets, coming off a game where
they hit twenty six threes, only hit six total tonight
(38:55):
and shot eighteen percent from three. So goes both ways.
More Clippers next journey in five seventy. LA Sports.
Speaker 1 (39:04):
Throws it up the window finishes in the.
Speaker 3 (39:06):
Fowl Los Angeles Slipper Nation. This is your home for
the LA Clippers. LA Clippers, take us with you on
the Ihearts Radio.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
AIP Clippers blowout the Charlotte Hornets a decisive victory. Here
at into its home. Welcome back. I'm at a Maslin
Clippers one twenty three, the Hornets eighty eight. As the
Clippers prepare for bigger fish to fry. They got the
Cleveland Cavaliers coming in best record in the league, but
(39:34):
they lost today. They're gonna be even hungrier. They're fifty
six and eleven. I don't believe they've lost two games
in a row all season long. I should double check
on that. But coach Lou postgame called this a professional
victory by the Clippers, you know, a taking care of
(39:56):
business type of win. You have a BA team coming
in they've only won seventeen games. Okay, Cleveland did lose
back to back games once, and they lost them to
the same team, the Atlanta Hawks back in November beat
him in back to back games. They beat him in Cleveland,
then they beat them in Atlanta. Actually, is this true. They've
(40:17):
lost three in a row before for a team that
only has eleven losses. It's a little bit surprising. Oh,
I'm glad I checked. Then they lost three in a
row in late January at Houston at Philly and then
Houston at home. So it's not unprecedented for them to
lose two games in a row the Cavaliers. But yeah,
(40:38):
they're dominant. They moved the ball beautifully, beautifully. Kenny Atkinson
has done wonders for their ball movement. They played great
team basketball out there. Shack the other day said something like,
what happens Donovan Mitchell get shut down? So well, I
don't know. They have two other All Stars on their team.
(41:04):
Guys don't even watch. It's a joke. It's a sick
joke because they get paid to watch, but they don't watch.
They have a lot of different ways to beat you.
They wi embarrass you at times if you don't bring it.
Let's go to Mike and La. Mike, you're on clipperstock
with out of Maus and Hi, Mike.
Speaker 10 (41:24):
Hey, and I'm yes, this definitely was a professional win today.
Two things I want to just mention. The first is
James Harden. Every time, you know, I think well, maybe
he's just done for the year, maybe he's just you know,
worn out, he comes back and has a phenomenal stretch
and that's what he's been doing and it's been great
(41:45):
to see. The second thing this got, you know, really
emphasized today, but it's been a thing for a bit now,
I think is Zoo's passing. It is really good this
year and it's been a big part of you know,
or for be an even bigger part of our offense
going Forwland.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
Zoo almost had a triple double in this game. Mike,
you bring up a great point.
Speaker 8 (42:07):
Now.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
He also had five turnovers, but he had eight assists
to fourteen boards and seventeen points. But I honestly think
he had to get more reps. They had to actually
get him the ball more for him to gain this
experience where he's being doubled all the time now and
therefore he's had to become a better passer because of
(42:29):
all the double teams and you're seeing the fruits of
his labor.
Speaker 7 (42:33):
You aren't.
Speaker 10 (42:34):
I think that's going to be very important for the
Cleveland game. I think, you know, getting Zoo involved and
making sure that, you know, because Cleveland's got those bids,
making sure that they have to work hard on defense, uh,
and you know, maybe slow down the game a bit,
munk it up a little is going to be very.
Speaker 2 (42:51):
Important against Cleveland on Tuesday.
Speaker 10 (42:56):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
Yeah, Cleveland Cavaliers, And I appreciate the phone call, Mike.
I'm gonna have Bob Smid on our voiceover guy, imaging
guy AM five to seventy and Fox Sports Radio and
also the host of the Fear of the Fro podcast
on tomorrow. But the Cavaliers have a historic offensive rating
of one twenty one point five one twenty one point five.
(43:22):
They're ninth in pace. Also, Clippers are twenty first, so
contrasting styles, and Cleveland also has the seventh best defense,
and that's dropped down a little bit as of late.
They're so balanced, they really don't have any glaring weaknesses
outside of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland aren't elite defenders
(43:46):
and they're undersized, and you can go at that guy
at those guys some, but they're still a top ten defense.
You get by them, you gotta deal with the Twin Towers,
with Mobley, with Jared Allen. They have so many ways
to beat you, and a lot of it for them
(44:06):
was just between the years where a couple of years
ago they lost in that first round series the New
York Knicks in a series they shouldn't have lost. They
were the better team. Then last season it took them
seven I believe to get out of the first round
against Orlando. They've needed more experience. I mean, Jared Allen
in that series or after the series against the New
York Knicks said, I guess the lights were a little
too bright, admitted it. Now there's expectations now. They have
(44:33):
the best record in the league. They're the best non
Lebron Cavaliers team ever. They're a tough matchup for anyone,
but it's gonna tell us a lot about Aviza Zubats
and how much they trust him in this game against
those two bigs. How much is Vita Zubas going to
(44:55):
be featured assuming Evan Mobley's play, I am how much
are they going to let him go to work if
he doesn't have it make the correct pass out of
double teams? And I think he is better than Jared Allen.
Evan Mobile is kind of a different beast because he
(45:17):
can shoot. He's more of a modern big, But I
would take Big Zoo or Jared Allen at this point.
I think that's clear, but you still have to prove it.
You still have to play like it. He's been playing
like it all season season long, but in a head
(45:38):
to head matchup, I want to see him perform. This
will be his toughest test and the Clippers to make
sure to rely on him, make him a focal point consistently.
If you look at a Visa Zoobots and what he's
done in the month of March in nine games, he
is averaging twenty one and eleven on sixty six percent
(46:01):
shooting from the field and getting up fifteen shots per
game on the season, he's only getting up eleven shots
per game. As of late, he's been getting the ball
much more. He's been playing heavier minutes. There have been
some injuries, Norm's back. Who'll get less shot attempts? A
caller asked me how many he should get or somebody
in the chat when the Clippers are healthy. I think
(46:22):
he should get fourteen shot attempts per game. Honestly, he's
too important. I don't know if he will. I doubt
it based upon him only an averaging eleven point five.
But he has to play to his size against guys
that can match him, and he has. He has dominated
(46:44):
some really good bigs. He dominated Triple J, He's dominated
AD this season. He has met the challenge he's past
tests with flying colors. I just know Tuesday night now
it's not just that he's facing some good bigs, and
two of them them. It's the best team in the
league record wise. They, while losing today, have been running
(47:10):
on all cylinders and have played more consistently at a
higher level than anybody else throughout the majority of this season.
The Cleveland Cavaliers. This is as tough as a guess.
You get him at home, then you get him in
Cleveland a couple weeks later. You gotta get a win
(47:32):
against him. To quote one of our callers earlier, one
of my favorites, Lenny Inglewood, like, show me something to
get a lot of people to rally behind this team
and believe again that if healthy, and this has always
been the caveat all season, if healthy, you get Kawhi
(47:53):
in a seven game series, you got a shot against
anybody to still believe that. I think you have to
beat some of these UBB Rachelon teams coming up. They
beat Memphis twice, can they get at least one game
against Cleveland? And okay, see if they get both, a
(48:15):
lot of people will have their faith restored in this
Clippers club. Kawhi's gotta be great too. I mentioned some
of their weaknesses, like you gotta match up hunt with them,
those two smaller guards. Kawhi's play has been from efficiency standpoint,
a little bit up and down and just not at
(48:37):
that level yet. I think we're twenty five games in
with him this season where I can say, Okay, he's
the same version of himself from last year. I can't
say that yet. He hasn't been. He hasn't been as
efficient as that guy was last year. Is he holding
things back? Has he not fully flipped the switch or
(48:57):
turned it on, turned it up. That could be the case,
because I've seen at times that dunk on Nick Richards
in Phoenix. I was like, whoa, Okay, that's prime Kawhi Leonard.
We've seen it in spurts. He has been running and
pushing it with pace more as of late. I've liked
seeing that tonight after starting zero for three, he hits
a mid range shot and then hit his next six.
(49:20):
Couldn't miss that's last year's version of Kawhi, or he
might miss a couple. Well, once he gets one to go,
it's it's over. He's become super efficient. But you need
your stars to perform. The Clippers have lost some of
these close games as of late because their stars weren't
(49:41):
good enough, or they didn't close against Phoenix, they didn't
close well enough against the Lakers. They weren't good enough
against New Orleans. I thought Kawhi was a little bit
too passive a early in that fourth quarter. Their stars
have to be better in the big moments. Against Milwaukee,
even with Giannis Is off the court and a thirteen
(50:02):
point lead in the fourth quarter, Giannis is off the
court the last six minutes. Never should have lost that game.
Now with Norm back and hopefully he gets you know,
the knocks, the rust off in this game going three
to thirteen, and it's just enough reps for him to
get into a more comfort zone where his shots start
(50:26):
falling against Cleveland immediately. He just needs to see a
couple go right away, and I'm sure he'll be fine.
He was moving well overall out there. He did hit
a three pointer, but we don't know if Chris Dunn's
gonna be available. He's day to day. I mean, that
would be great. Sick him on Darius Garland or Donovan
Mitchell's spider. Of course, Tuesday night, it is a showdown
(50:51):
here for I think, a prove it type of game
for Clipper Nation to see that, Okay, this team, the
blueprints still out there. There's formula that if they're healthy,
they can hang with anyone. Tip off from into a
Dome Tuesday Night between the Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers is
at seven thirty pregame at six thirty. Before we get
(51:12):
out of here. I do want to thank the Clippers organization.
Ralph Lawler, Brian Seeman, Noah Ego, Carlo Jimenez on the call.
We miss you, big bro, but thanks to David for
filling in our head engineer here at into a dome.
Daniel West, our head producer back in Burbank. The callers,
the listeners, the chatters, love you all. We'll talk to
you on Tuesday.
Speaker 1 (51:32):
This has been Clippers Talk right here on your home
for the La Clippers Audio Network. Don't miss a single
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Clippers Talk Maybe
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Speaker 2 (00:02):
We're taking your calls on the LA Clippers right now.
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This is Clippers.
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Talk on Aaron on Demand, the Clippers Show of Record,
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Clippers Clippers news happens.
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Let me guess it's about Kawhi. Here we are and
now here he is the host of your LA Clippers
pre and postgame at follow Adam a Adam Osley.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Clippers creating a little bit of buzz after a one
forty three to eighty eight victory over the Charlotte Hornets
where they have now won six of their last seven games.
Welcome in to the Clipper Stock live from into It Dome.
I'm out a Moslin. Okay, i'ming up. We'll get to
your phone calls at eight sixty six nine eight seven
two five seventy eight six six nine eight seven two
five seventy will also bring you some postgame audio from
(00:46):
Coach Lou and the players after the Clippers just completely
dominate and win by thirty five over the Charlotte Hornets,
when the game where they led by as many as
thirty eight. Here it into a Dome. There are times
during a long regular season where I think a blowout
victory like This isn't that helpful, doesn't tell you that
(01:09):
much about your team. This is not one of them.
This was necessary, This was needed. This validates what we've
been seeing as of late from the Clippers. This confirms
a lot of the good play that we've seen against
better teams, and it carried over into what you would
(01:31):
expect against a bad team who, by the way, just
had an abysmal shooting night. Some of this is the
Clippers defense. Some of this is the law of averages
going against the Charlotte Hornets, because they hit twenty six
to three pointers their last game against San Antonio, the
record is twenty nine. Tonight, they went six of thirty
three from the outside. So if everybody's saying Clippers luck
(01:55):
hot shooting, the opposition always finds the bottom of the
net against the Clippers outliers shooting. Not tonight, Not this time.
This was the Clippers team being helped out by the
law of averages going in their favor. Kind of a
big deal. One of the reasons you get a lopside
(02:18):
victory like this. The Clippers were good, they were very good.
The Charlotte Hornets were also just miserable shooting the basketball.
They shot thirty nine percent from the field and eighteen
percent from three, and nobody scored more than eighteen points.
That would be Mark Williams who had eighteen and fifteen. Meanwhile,
the Clippers, I saw a lot of guys heating up
(02:41):
at different times. It starts with James Harden, though that
first quarter from James. We've seen it a lot this season.
He has been the Clippers MVP. He has been that
steady force for them, getting them set up on the
offensive side, running the show, being a system, insade these system,
he said, a system Harden got. Things started with the
(03:04):
mid range sploater on the left elbow. Then it stepped
back three, another floater, three from the far side. It's
twenty to thirteen Clippers after they let I want to say,
nine to two, and then it was tied up at
eleven to eleven, and then they really pulled away. He
had nan one down the left alley to make it
(03:26):
twenty six sixteen and had fifteen points in the first
quarter in the opening period, setting the tone. Not everybody
else had it going. James Harden kind of said, I'm
gonna be hot tonight. Don't worry about it. I'll start
five of seven and two of three from the outside
(03:46):
to get to those fifteen points. Clippers won the first
quarter thirty two to twenty one. I also think we
got some good stuff from Bogie near the second half
of the first quarter when he came in early for
Norman Powell. Welcome back Norm. He struggled, he was rusty.
Doesn't matter. They need him moving forward desperately and they
(04:07):
need him to catch a rhythm. More about that, but
Bogie came in, had a little eurostep transition, bucket, then
knocked down a three pointer. Didn't play heavy minutes, just nineteen,
but had seven points three or four shooting one on
one from the outside. Clippers in the second quarter ran
into a little bit of trouble where at one point
(04:28):
I believe they had missed six straight shots to start
off the second But then Kawhi after starting zero three
in this game, he missed a right elbow jumper over
bridges early on the mellow went around a screen for
a floater on him. He was short on a mid
range shot. There was a transition played the other way.
(04:52):
Second quarter, he misses a midi long. His first bucket
was a fade away at the eight forty five mark
of the second over Miles bridges, then another fade away
over bridges, then Kawhi a straightaway three off a zoos
screen made it forty three to thirty two. The Clippers
were starting to pull away. Kawhi a layup in transition,
(05:16):
a swooping layup where he got hit on the head
by LaMelo Ball. No call, you almost hit him in
the neck, it was. It was a pretty obvious one
and Kawhi couldn't get the call. Didn't really sell it either.
Did say something to the officials later. But the Clippers
at the half, after getting eleven points in that second
(05:38):
quarter from Kawhi, are up twenty four. So they outscored
the Hornets in the first half by a point per
minute to lead by twenty four. After the first twenty
four minutes. It's sixty five to forty one Clippers at
the half. James Harden has twenty three. He had eight
more points in that second quarter beats a zoobox. He's
(05:59):
already had eleven in and five assists. Zuo was dishing
out there. Kawhi had eleven, so make it he had
nine points in that second quarter. Correction there not eleven
had eleven points of the half, but after missing his
first three shots, I believe he hit his next six
(06:22):
out there. Kawhi was good, real good. There were some
tough shots that he hit in the third quarter. First
of all, got an easy one on a back cut
free feed from James Harden to start the period. Then
Harden hits a three. Then Kawhi hits a three. The
(06:44):
Clippers are up thirty. Then he would finally miss. So
from the span of the end of the second into
the third quarter, Kawhi had hit six straight shots after
missing his first three shots at the game, he finished
nine of sixteen, so he went nine for his last
thirteen to get his twenty three points. But it was
really good to see. I often say this with Kawhi.
(07:06):
It's like he's sighting the scope and the accuracy comes.
Eventually he's a little bit wide right and a little
bit wide left, and then he centers it and then
he just can't miss. That's when Kawhi is at his
best and just looks unstoppable and sees through defenders on
those jump shots. But there's not much more important to
(07:31):
this Clippers team than Kawhi. Leonard obviously looking like himself.
We've been talking about this for a while, and I
thought tonight was another step in the right direction. Twenty
three points in just twenty seven minutes. He also had
five assists. The Clippers almost assisted on seventy percent of
their made field goals. They had thirty assists to forty
five made field goals, thirteen of twenty six from the outside.
(07:52):
They're shooting fifty percent from three, and Kawhi was three
or four. So we've been watching that. How do his
legs look from distance? From deep? Does he have the
lift we did tonight? It just took three shots to
get him out of his system and then he centered
the scope and then he was on target. That is
(08:15):
a dangerous version of the claw. Now, I'm still gonna
say his play has been somewhat up and down, and
I need to see more, but he is trending in
the right direction. If you look overall of the numbers
in March from Kawhi Leonard and his averages, I believe
(08:37):
he was averaging twenty three coming into this ballgame in
March twenty four. I think that's now included on his
ESPN game log. But he's played seven games in March.
He had thirty three, his highest scoring game, that second
game against the Lakers twenty one against Phoenix, where he
(08:59):
looked I think even better than he did against the Lakers.
That dunk he had on Nick Richards was probably the
most explosive play he's had this season. I thought through
the first three quarters, remember the Clippers were up by
twenty three, that was the best he had looked. Then
he struggled a little bit at times against the Knicks,
twenty points on six of eighteen shooting, struggled against the
(09:21):
Kings till he hit the game winner seven to nineteen
against seventeen points against New Orleans. I thought he looked
really good for three quarters, but he wasn't aggressive in
the fourth, still finished with twenty nine. Clippers lost that game,
though to a hot shooting, hot shooting Pelicans team, and
then he played with a much more force in pop
(09:42):
against Atlanta. I would say with his twenty five points
on twenty one shots, but I like seeing him get
up twenty one shots, and he had a couple of
really spectacular layups, but he was just one of four
from three in that game. Well tonight he goes three
or four at twenty three points in twenty seven minutes,
so he was on his way to a thirty spot,
(10:04):
but the Clippers were up by thirty. He didn't need
to play much good to see. I think this helps
their confidence knowing that, Okay, we're dismantling teams. We're getting
back to that point where we're handling bad teams the
way we should in just annihilating the Charlotte Hornson. This
(10:28):
game fourth game this season where the opponent was held
under ninety points. Hornets at eighty eight second lowest opponent
three point percentage on the season at what eighteen percent?
The low would be Sacramento win seventeen point five percent
(10:50):
from three against them back in November and then it
was their season high and offensive rebounds was seventeen the Clippers.
They had seventeen second chance points off those seventeen offensive rebounds.
There were times where Charlotte was getting multiple offensive rebounds.
(11:11):
They had one possession where they had three opportunities in
the first half, but the Clippers got three stops. They
ended up with eleven offensive rebounds. There's really no area
where the Clippers were glaringly bad. They had just ten turnovers,
and guys, I've been telling you they have cut down
(11:33):
on the turnovers in a big way post All Star Break,
where they have been averaging around twelve per game. So
while they have been struggling in some areas and losing
ball games out of the All Star Break, there was
this dirty little secret that you know, they're getting better
taking care of the basketball. Now, if you can marry
(11:55):
that with some better shooting from the outside, is the Clippers.
You know, we're struggling at times from three, while other
teams coming out of the All Star Break we're knocking
down everything, then they could be in business. So now
we're starting to see what happens with a Clippers team
that offensively is playing better and they're still taking care
(12:20):
of the basketball. Really good to see James Harden just
two turnovers, seven assists. Now, he did have six last
game against Atlanta, but all six came in the first half.
Second half zero. What happened? They blew him out in
the second half. Atlanta is a better basketball team than
the Hornets. Obviously, Hornets are in seems like a perpetual rebuild.
(12:43):
Michael Jordan not the best talent evaluator. I don't think
he's a minority owner anymore, but responsible for some of
the lack of talent, but look, they've also had a
ton of injuries this season. You know, Brandon Miller breaking
his wrist. I think it was was a tough blow
(13:06):
for them. Grant Williams, I think tearing his acl was tough.
So while they're rebuilding, they're also having these difficult injuries
to work through. And the bright spot has been LaMelo
at times, but he's inefficient, I think mostly because the
team he's on. Miles Bridges had been playing really well though.
(13:28):
I think he'd been averaging thirty over the last couple
of weeks, and he was completely held in check to
just seven points tonight, and the Melow just had sixteen
on five of eighteen shooting. Bridges just took ten shots
and was three of ten, one of seven from three.
This is the game where you have to say, to
some degree, the law of averages played in the Clippers
(13:52):
favor with a hot shooting team that maybe got all
that hot shooting out of their system against San Antonio,
because tonight they were ice cold for three six of
thirty three. When they're coming off a game where they
hit twenty six threes, it might've been a franchise record. Obviously,
it was a season high for them. I mean the
all time record twenty nine. They hit twenty six trees.
That's crazy. Clippers win one twenty three to eighty eight
(14:14):
over the Charlotte Hornets. Hear it into a Dome. We'll
take a quick time out, we'll come back. We'll get
to your phone calls at eight six six nine eight
seven two five seventy eight six six nine eighty seven
two five seventy I'm outa Moslin and you're listening to
AM five seventy LA Sports.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
Throws it up the window finishes in the fowl Los
Angeles Slipper Nation.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
This is your home for the LA Clippers. LA Clippers.
Take us with you on the Ihearts radio app.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Clippers with a decisive victory over the Charlotte Hornets. Here
at into a Dome one twenty three to eighty eight
is your final welcome back in I'm out of Moslin.
This is Clippers sock here on seventy LA Sports. Eight
six six five nine is the phone number giving out
that one for KiB eight six Demetrius in La Demetrius.
(15:10):
What's up here on clipper stopt for that am auzl
Hi Demetrius.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Adam, I love cooling the game, and I love Casey
and the sunshine. Ben Man, you you got a lot
of rhythm going here. Uh, it's just amazing. Long time.
I don't think I spoke to you in a couple
of weeks for expenish few games. Very excited. It seemed
like you've been a coach, Adam, because you you hit
right on the money when we talk about big zoos,
(15:34):
you've been. You got the receipt. And I keep hating
to keep bringing up Big Zoo because of the phenomenal
job that he's been doing and we've been talking about
give him acclimated in the game. He makes the game
much easier and then also it gives him a ton
a ton of a ton of credit moving forward, especially
(15:58):
going forward into the play I just love what this
team is doing.
Speaker 5 (16:03):
Now.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
The elite defense is showing up. We talked about all
four players now welcome back Pow. All four players been
in double digits. I think that's what I wanted to
speak to you about, is that now we have four
players going into the playoffs in double digits. With the
bench that we have, with the defense playing eleat defense,
(16:26):
I think we're going to be in a real serious
situation here, and I think moving forward, I think we
got about what fourteen games to go. I'm hoping we
can go eleven and three, twelve and two. I know
it's a push because of the back to backs, but
I truly believe that, Adam, we got something going here.
What do you think.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
To me? Jeers? I appreciate the phone call. I'm with you.
I like the way they're playing defensively the last three games,
holding the Heat to one oh four, holding and to
ninety eight, now holding the Charlotte Hornets to eighty eight points.
It looks like they're getting back to their defensive principles
and getting back to that defensive intensity on that end
(17:11):
that we saw early on this season throughout the majority
of the season, but they haven't been as good the
last month or so on the defensive side. That's really
encouraging to me. And then if you can merge that
great defense with them having more talent on the offensive end,
with Kawhi being back and now norm being back, that's how,
(17:34):
all of a sudden you get to a place where
this Clippers team can be extremely dangerous and looked like
what we had hoped to see early on with Kawhi,
which is a team that's a top five defensive team,
and then can they get to be in a top
ten offensive team when Kawhi is back. Well, they have
been better as of late on the offensive end. They
(17:55):
have won six of seven. It's starting to trend that way.
I know, you guys can't hear the audio. I'm not
into a dome. You can never hear the audio when
I bring up callers, unfortunately from Burbank what I'm here,
I know it's a problem, but I'll just try to
transcribe some of what our callers said. Demetrius, he's asking
(18:18):
about how I feel about the Clippers, how I feel
about him right now. He's hoping they can go eleven
and three the last fourteen games of the season, and
the state of the team right now. They're in a
good place, but they're entering the eye of the storm.
And the schedule also the Clippers this week, it's not
(18:39):
just the Cavaliers on Tuesday, but then Friday you're taking
on Memphis and then Sunday you're taking on the Thunder.
So this is a four game homestand after that three
and one road trip they just came back from and
they'll head back out for an East Coast road trip,
so three tough games coming up, which is why getting
(18:59):
guys read and reacclimating somebody like Norman Powell in a
game like this where you you know, didn't have to
play high intensity, late clutch time basketball and have guys
with tired legs going into that game against the Cavaliers
was so important. And Colord Demetriz brought up Norman Powell
(19:20):
as well. Good to see him back. There was something
interesting that happened in the second half. Norm started the game,
as we expected, he didn't start the second half, so
he starts the game with the starting lineup of Kawhi,
DJ Zoo, Norman Powell, and James Harden. That starting lineup
(19:40):
has one of the best net ratings in the league.
They haven't been able to throw it out there enough
because of injuries going on, but that starting lineup with
DJ in there next to Norm, next to James Harden
next to Kawhi next to him each a Zubots has
been elite of the elite. They've been incredible this season
(20:04):
and I was interested to see interested to see which
way coach lou was going to go with Norm back.
I expected him to be in the starting lineup, But
who would be that fifth guy? Would it be Nico?
Would it be Chris Dunn? But he's out tonight unfortunately
Leftnie sore on us again coming out of the game
against Atlanta. So DJ gets the start, and it made
(20:30):
a lot of sense to me because the net rating
has been that good, so harden Kawhi, Norm Palabats Zubas,
Dereck Jones Junior. They have and I don't think this
includes tonight's minutes, but it might. I doubt it. They
have an offensive rating of one twenty six point eight
(20:50):
and a defensive rating of one oh one point six.
That's a net rating of twenty five point two in
one hundred and seventy four minutes, and for a while
in this may still be true. Of lineups that had
played one hundred and fifty minutes, they had the best
net rating in the league. I'd have to double check
on that, but at worst it's near the very top.
(21:13):
So it makes sense for DJ to be the fifth guy.
It makes sense to start Horn Pal, who's been their
leading scorer on the season. Some people were saying, oh,
is Norm really gonna start? Why would he not start?
He's averaged twenty four per game, but in the second half,
Coach Lou started Nikopatoom. Now I'm looking for postgame audio
(21:37):
from Coach Lou about that, but I think it was
to get him one long stint from the midway point
of the third quarter into the first half of the
fourth quarter where he wasn't coming in and out off
the hamstring, and he could get more time with some
(21:57):
of the others and role players out there. That's just
the rest of the starters who he's more familiar with. Anyways,
I think that was the point, because if you started
him in the third quarter, he might only play the
first eight to ten minutes of the third and then
his knight's done, and he hasn't played much with the
(22:17):
guys in the second unit in some of his new
teammates with Ben Simmons, with Bogie, with you Banks, I
think that's what they were doing. But we'll see. I'm
interested to hear from Coach low about that. Is it
something where he's gonna be tinkering with the starting lineup.
(22:39):
I just don't see how you take Norman Powell out
at this point with how good of a season he's had,
where you can make the argument, I think he had
a better year than Jay Dubb. He could have been starting,
or he could have been an All Star over Jalen Williams.
With the Thunder, Norm Spin, their leading scorer, their go
(23:04):
to guy a lot of the season, and the efficiencies there,
So you're gonna bring that guy off the bench? Does
that make sense to anybody? Someone's pointing out Powell starting
doesn't mean he A finishes or B starts every game
of every series. I mean maybe, but he's been finishing
(23:27):
before he was a starter. He was finishing games last season.
Remember the Powell Rangers lineup their most devastating lineup. He
has the best, some of the best clutch numbers, and
the best fourth quarter numbers in the league the last
two seasons. Norn Powell not even debatable, not even close.
(23:48):
He shot like close to sixty percent from the field
in fourth quarters last year and close to fifty percent
from three and then before he went out with injury,
he was around the same place in fourth quarters year
with those percentages. So how do you not have that
guy in, especially on a team that they've been great
(24:10):
defensively even with Norm pal starting. What they lack at
times is offensive punch play finishers on the offensive end.
Norm fits in so well because he doesn't need the
ball in his hands to cook. He doesn't need to
play with the basketball or over dribble. He just gets it,
shoots it, catch and shoot guy or off the dribble
(24:31):
guy going to his right quickly to the basket. That's
who Norm is. He doesn't dance much, he doesn't have
a huge bag. You don't need to. So while Kawhi
and James Harden are going io and if east the
Zubats might back down his man like he did tonight
(24:52):
against Musachia, Baze punished him. Norm is just quick decisions,
quick actions out there that's perfect to fit next to
this team with the way it's constructed. Clippers win by
thirty five over the Charlotte Hornets. And while we have
a moment, let's pause ten seconds for station identification. Here
(25:16):
on a five seventy LS Sports, this.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
Is La Clippers Basketball AM five seventy KLAC Los Angeles,
ninety seven kys R h D two Los Angeles, and
iHeartRadio station.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Harold in North Hollywood near on Clippers stock without a masa.
Speaker 6 (25:36):
You know what we call it, I see your your
tone drops it a little bit.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
Not at all, Harold in North Hollywood.
Speaker 5 (25:43):
Let's go, hey, Anam, I want to say that Daniel
is a nice guy. Is answered the phone and put
me on Look, you know, Clippers aside, that was a
big victory for.
Speaker 6 (26:00):
Against the Charlotte Hornets.
Speaker 7 (26:01):
You know where I'm going.
Speaker 6 (26:03):
The NBA has bigger problems, Adam, and nobody wants to
address it. I talked to you, you'll go out there.
The quality, the quality of the game is not when
I'm used to watching.
Speaker 4 (26:15):
It's older.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
The game is better than ever. You just listen to
pundits and analysts who are old timers that want to
crap on the game all the time because it makes
their era look better. I can't agree with you there,
I can't. I'm sorry.
Speaker 7 (26:29):
That's okay.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
There are more. There are more tough shot makers in
this league, guys who are more unguardable than ever. The
forty eight points we just show from Shake Gilds Alexander
yesterday in that game against Detroit. Some of the moves
he made are just basketball god stuff, stuff that players
in the past couldn't dream of doing. Incredible, untouched the.
Speaker 6 (26:52):
Game, Adam. The game has changed the three point play
is great, but I think it's changed the quality these
guys who shooting three is when it's so unnecessary and
they're cranking.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
Because they make them, No, they make them way more
than guys in the past, way more.
Speaker 6 (27:10):
What is per what's the percentage not the great ones
like Curry and Alexander? What's the percentage of most of
the players in the league on three point shots?
Speaker 2 (27:20):
Oh, league average is around thirty six percent, Harold, But
what if I told you this? What if I told
you the math works like this. If you're shooting thirty
three percent from three, which is three percent below league average,
that's the equivalent of shooting fifty percent from two. So
even when you're not shooting it that well, it still
(27:42):
is a decent shot.
Speaker 6 (27:45):
Okay, Okay, because it's worth.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
The extra point. It is the math. The math has
unlocked a different style of play, Okay, Like instead of
taking a lot of long twos like you used to
see in the NBA, they're still ping back two feet
and taking a shot that's worth a point more.
Speaker 8 (28:05):
Okay, that sounds that sounds cool, But what do we
I saw the Suns today against the Lakers, and I
saw the Hornets against the Clippers, it was almost unwatchable.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Well what about last game where the Hornets hit twenty
six threes? Like it?
Speaker 9 (28:23):
I could go the other way with it. I guess
there are some games where well, in NBA history there
it's a make or miss league. There are some games
where you're on more than others. You can't expect perfect
basketball every game, or just point to the bad games,
Harold and say, see the game isn't as good as
it used to be, or see this is unwatchable. It's like,
(28:43):
well was it watchable when they knock down twenty six threes?
Speaker 10 (28:47):
What's your record?
Speaker 2 (28:50):
There are a bad league. But it doesn't They're not
bad because they take threes. They're bad because they don't
have the most talent and they have a bunch of
guys bang.
Speaker 11 (29:00):
Up and banged up.
Speaker 8 (29:03):
I don't care if they hit them all in the line,
if they couldn't win.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
That has nothing to do with style of play, Harold.
There have always been bad teams in the league. I
can give you bad teams from yesteryear too. The Charlotte
Hornets are a bad team in today's league at seventeen
and fifty.
Speaker 10 (29:21):
That's nothing new, But he just said they scored twenty
six points the other day.
Speaker 6 (29:28):
They ain't scoring many points on threes.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
They said, hit twenty six threes the other day. Yes,
tonight they did not. It's kind of a lot of
hours things.
Speaker 8 (29:38):
Okay, Look, sure, I appreciate you.
Speaker 7 (29:41):
Let me talk.
Speaker 6 (29:42):
You're a good guy, Adam, and Daniels is a nice guy,
and we're not always going to agree at him. But
I respect your opinions.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
All right, I appreciate you, Harold. Thank you for the
phone call. We'll take a quick time out, we'll come back.
Clippers win over the Charlotte Hornets by thirty five, with
the final score one twenty three to eighty eight. Here
at into a dome as they get ready to take
on well the best team in the league, the Cleveland
Cavaliers on Tuesday night. Right back here seven thirty. Tip
(30:10):
pregame at six thirty. Madame oslin More clipperstock coming up
next year. On the M five seventy, LA Sports.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
Throws it up the window finishes in the fowl Los
Angeles Slipper Nation. This is your home for the LA Clippers.
LA Clippers take us with you on the Ihearts Radio app.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
Clippers Love the Charlotte Hornets one twenty three to eighty
eight with you for about twenty more minutes here on
Clippers Talk Live from Into a Dome im Madam Moslin
to eight six six ninety seven two five seventy eight
six six ninety eight seven two five seventy is the
phone number Clippers played a sound basketball game. The Charlotte
(30:50):
Hornets have seventeen victories on the season. They're struggling. Is
what happens when you have these two worlds collide. Where
the Clippers are ascending right now, the problems not quite
up the standings because there's two teams in front of
them that refuse to lose, in the Minnesota Timberwolves and
Golden State Warriors. But they are, as I've been talking
about for a week now, pretty secure in that eighth spot.
(31:14):
So at worst, I believe they're going to finish eighth,
which would put them in a playing game between the
team that finishes seventh, currently the Minnesota timber Wolves. They'd
have to go out on the road if they're the
eighth spot, though not easy. They've gone to Minnesota before
for a playing game back in twenty twenty two and
lost that one, but that was with Paul George. They
(31:35):
have Kawhi. He looked very good overall, very efficient out
there with his twenty three points in just twenty seven
minutes on nine of sixteen shooting. After he missed his
first three shots, he caught fire after that. Let's hear
from one of my favorites, got cleanse the Palette, Lenny
in Inglewood. Lenny, you're on Clippers stock without a most.
Speaker 7 (32:00):
Are you feeling what's saying?
Speaker 4 (32:03):
Man?
Speaker 7 (32:04):
Listen?
Speaker 2 (32:05):
Uh?
Speaker 7 (32:05):
Great win you know they they put the smack down
on them, which I'm glad, but you're not gonna like
what I'm about to say, because here's the deal. The
Clippers are finally Ryan the super Guard. They're finally coming
in in the forum. But we have not been we
have not beaten, okay, seeing about three years in about
two three years like a serious what they had everybody,
(32:28):
We had everybody. So these next three games we gotta go.
I don't care if we drop the Grizzlies, because we
already proved that we can get the Grizzlies, but getting
into getting into Cleveland, getting it, getting into that stuff
and then beaten okay, see, to me, are pretty much
damn near MUSC wins. We gotta we gotta be able
(32:49):
to show it to ourselves.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
That Cleveland and Okay see those are both must wins.
You want the Clippers to show show.
Speaker 7 (32:57):
Say again, I need you.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
To see them beat Cleveland and Okay see.
Speaker 7 (33:04):
Yes to so to to really believe that we're there,
or else I see another first second round, first round exit.
I mean we got to. I mean Kawhi is back.
And the thing I liked about Kawhi the last game
was those five steals. That to me says a lot
about his game because everybody knows that that in basketball
(33:26):
to do you know, defense is effort, is effort, effort, effort,
and the thing about you're gonna you're always gonna get
effort with Kawhi, So if he's healthy, he's gonna give
it to you. And it's contagious. You know, he gets
to steal and it just it begins to you know,
it's like begins to set off everybody. Everybody wants to steal,
everyoneants to get into it. So to me, we got it.
(33:46):
That's the most We gotta go. We gotta go to
and one one and all in three is a questioned.
But if we only beat one. I'm not happy with
Dad's I'm not believing it. We gotta win. We gotta
win two of these, man. And and the thing about
it is that, like Ia so I saw this article.
Speaker 11 (34:01):
To day, we gotta be It's like, we can do it.
We can still get that six spot if we get
if we go to win one with these next three,
the next three games.
Speaker 7 (34:09):
We'll be in that six spot. I know he will.
But like I said, I.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
Don't even know if mathematically, I don't know if that's
true mathematically. I gotta be honest with you, you know,
gold to say it's thirteen and one or something like
that with Jimmy Butler. Now they're not losing, yeah, I know, Yeah,
Minnesota's not losing either. I think they've won eight in
a row. So they need help. They don't control their
own destiny. They need help.
Speaker 7 (34:35):
Well, I'm talking about for our confidence level. We have
to beat we have to be some of the get we.
Speaker 11 (34:40):
Got we like I said, do we ain't beat Okay,
see in like two years. That's not good.
Speaker 7 (34:45):
That's that's not a good son.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
They've been the best team in the West trade years. Now.
I agree with you, man, We agree with you.
Speaker 7 (34:53):
All right. Well, like I said, well, I'm looking forward
to the game on Tuesday and dial then and uh,
you know, let's just go get it, man, I Dugs,
I'm ready, man, I think all the fans are ready.
I mean, they've done an amazing job this year. Van
Gundy has just been a god man. I mean even
Bogdanovich to talk about it to day, how he challenges
you and brings the best out. I hope he stays
(35:15):
with him another year. Lubok is a definite eighteen eighteen
twelve players, so he's right there where we need him.
And I mean it's there, man. We got all the
pieces we need, and we got still got the best coach,
one of the best coaches in the league. And like
I said, we gotta go to in one, man. We
have to go to in one.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
All right, Lenny. It's a high standard, but I get it.
If you want to feel like you're a contender, you
got to beat the top team. So it makes sense.
Appreciate it, Lenny. Clippers win by thirty five here adding
to a dome over the Charlotte Hornets, Lenny and Inglewood
saying he doesn't care if they lose a Memphis because
(35:55):
they beat him twice already. He's confident against them. I
am too. In a seven game series, it's the ideal
matchup in the first round. Of course, to get to
the first round series, they're probably gonna have to win
a playing game. It's them then Houston. To me, those
are the top two teams you want to see. But
(36:16):
to Lenny's point, they haven't beat the game they did win.
You know what, they did have one victory against OKC
where both teams were pretty fully loaded. That was last
season at Staples at Crypto where Kawhi had the block
on SGA late and it was a measuring stick type performance.
(36:38):
It was late December, early January, measuring stick performance. A
couple of them coming up, starting with Cleveland Tuesday night. Yeah,
if you want to believe this team is for real
and can beat anybody in play with anybody, they got
to prove it. The regular season matters. How you play
(37:01):
against them now matters, and it would give them a
ton of confidence if they could beat Cleveland and okay,
see this week they get them at home. I think
that would change a lot of Clippers fans' minds. I mean,
there's many people who have been doom and gloom, and
(37:22):
they only show up in the chat when the Clippers lose,
and they haven't been shown up as of late. And
I think it's because the Clippers are starting to prove
them wrong. They've won six of seven, they're not folding
on the season. Their defense is coming back, their offense
has been playing better. You merge those two things during business.
(37:45):
But we'll see Tuesday night, big test against the best
team in the league. I don't believe Carlo was bringing
this up earlier that Cleveland has lost two games in
a row this season, and they just lost to Orlando
tonight at home. So they're gonna be hungry. They're gonna
be up for that ball game. I think Evan Mobley
rested today. It's probably playing back in SOCl former Trojan,
(38:11):
I'd expect them to be playing. We'll take a quick
time out, we'll come back. We'll get back to your
phone calls. Eight sixty six nine eight seven two five
seventy eight six six nine eight seven two five seventy
is the phone number. Clippers win by thirty five. Here
into a dome over is struggling Charlotte Hornet's team. But
the Clippers are now won six to seven, and it
(38:32):
could have been seven in a row. You know the
game they lost in New Orleans where the Pelicans hit
eighteen threes and shot fifty five percent from the outside,
their best three point percentage of the season. The next
two games they shoot ten percent from three. Clippers luck
But tonight the Charlotte Hornets, coming off a game where
they hit twenty six threes, only hit six total tonight
(38:55):
and shot eighteen percent from three. So goes both ways.
More Clippers next journey in five seventy. LA Sports.
Speaker 1 (39:04):
Throws it up the window finishes in the.
Speaker 3 (39:06):
Fowl Los Angeles Slipper Nation. This is your home for
the LA Clippers. LA Clippers, take us with you on
the Ihearts Radio.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
AIP Clippers blowout the Charlotte Hornets a decisive victory. Here
at into its home. Welcome back. I'm at a Maslin
Clippers one twenty three, the Hornets eighty eight. As the
Clippers prepare for bigger fish to fry. They got the
Cleveland Cavaliers coming in best record in the league, but
(39:34):
they lost today. They're gonna be even hungrier. They're fifty
six and eleven. I don't believe they've lost two games
in a row all season long. I should double check
on that. But coach Lou postgame called this a professional
victory by the Clippers, you know, a taking care of
(39:56):
business type of win. You have a BA team coming
in they've only won seventeen games. Okay, Cleveland did lose
back to back games once, and they lost them to
the same team, the Atlanta Hawks back in November beat
him in back to back games. They beat him in Cleveland,
then they beat them in Atlanta. Actually, is this true. They've
(40:17):
lost three in a row before for a team that
only has eleven losses. It's a little bit surprising. Oh,
I'm glad I checked. Then they lost three in a
row in late January at Houston at Philly and then
Houston at home. So it's not unprecedented for them to
lose two games in a row the Cavaliers. But yeah,
(40:38):
they're dominant. They moved the ball beautifully, beautifully. Kenny Atkinson
has done wonders for their ball movement. They played great
team basketball out there. Shack the other day said something like,
what happens Donovan Mitchell get shut down? So well, I
don't know. They have two other All Stars on their team.
(41:04):
Guys don't even watch. It's a joke. It's a sick
joke because they get paid to watch, but they don't watch.
They have a lot of different ways to beat you.
They wi embarrass you at times if you don't bring it.
Let's go to Mike and La. Mike, you're on clipperstock
with out of Maus and Hi, Mike.
Speaker 10 (41:24):
Hey, and I'm yes, this definitely was a professional win today.
Two things I want to just mention. The first is
James Harden. Every time, you know, I think well, maybe
he's just done for the year, maybe he's just you know,
worn out, he comes back and has a phenomenal stretch
and that's what he's been doing and it's been great
(41:45):
to see. The second thing this got, you know, really
emphasized today, but it's been a thing for a bit now,
I think is Zoo's passing. It is really good this
year and it's been a big part of you know,
or for be an even bigger part of our offense
going Forwland.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
Zoo almost had a triple double in this game. Mike,
you bring up a great point.
Speaker 8 (42:07):
Now.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
He also had five turnovers, but he had eight assists
to fourteen boards and seventeen points. But I honestly think
he had to get more reps. They had to actually
get him the ball more for him to gain this
experience where he's being doubled all the time now and
therefore he's had to become a better passer because of
(42:29):
all the double teams and you're seeing the fruits of
his labor.
Speaker 7 (42:33):
You aren't.
Speaker 10 (42:34):
I think that's going to be very important for the
Cleveland game. I think, you know, getting Zoo involved and
making sure that, you know, because Cleveland's got those bids,
making sure that they have to work hard on defense, uh,
and you know, maybe slow down the game a bit,
munk it up a little is going to be very.
Speaker 2 (42:51):
Important against Cleveland on Tuesday.
Speaker 10 (42:56):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
Yeah, Cleveland Cavaliers, And I appreciate the phone call, Mike.
I'm gonna have Bob Smid on our voiceover guy, imaging
guy AM five to seventy and Fox Sports Radio and
also the host of the Fear of the Fro podcast
on tomorrow. But the Cavaliers have a historic offensive rating
of one twenty one point five one twenty one point five.
(43:22):
They're ninth in pace. Also, Clippers are twenty first, so
contrasting styles, and Cleveland also has the seventh best defense,
and that's dropped down a little bit as of late.
They're so balanced, they really don't have any glaring weaknesses
outside of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland aren't elite defenders
(43:46):
and they're undersized, and you can go at that guy
at those guys some, but they're still a top ten defense.
You get by them, you gotta deal with the Twin Towers,
with Mobley, with Jared Allen. They have so many ways
to beat you, and a lot of it for them
(44:06):
was just between the years where a couple of years
ago they lost in that first round series the New
York Knicks in a series they shouldn't have lost. They
were the better team. Then last season it took them
seven I believe to get out of the first round
against Orlando. They've needed more experience. I mean, Jared Allen
in that series or after the series against the New
York Knicks said, I guess the lights were a little
too bright, admitted it. Now there's expectations now. They have
(44:33):
the best record in the league. They're the best non
Lebron Cavaliers team ever. They're a tough matchup for anyone,
but it's gonna tell us a lot about Aviza Zubats
and how much they trust him in this game against
those two bigs. How much is Vita Zubas going to
(44:55):
be featured assuming Evan Mobley's play, I am how much
are they going to let him go to work if
he doesn't have it make the correct pass out of
double teams? And I think he is better than Jared Allen.
Evan Mobile is kind of a different beast because he
(45:17):
can shoot. He's more of a modern big, But I
would take Big Zoo or Jared Allen at this point.
I think that's clear, but you still have to prove it.
You still have to play like it. He's been playing
like it all season season long, but in a head
(45:38):
to head matchup, I want to see him perform. This
will be his toughest test and the Clippers to make
sure to rely on him, make him a focal point consistently.
If you look at a Visa Zoobots and what he's
done in the month of March in nine games, he
is averaging twenty one and eleven on sixty six percent
(46:01):
shooting from the field and getting up fifteen shots per
game on the season, he's only getting up eleven shots
per game. As of late, he's been getting the ball
much more. He's been playing heavier minutes. There have been
some injuries, Norm's back. Who'll get less shot attempts? A
caller asked me how many he should get or somebody
in the chat when the Clippers are healthy. I think
(46:22):
he should get fourteen shot attempts per game. Honestly, he's
too important. I don't know if he will. I doubt
it based upon him only an averaging eleven point five.
But he has to play to his size against guys
that can match him, and he has. He has dominated
(46:44):
some really good bigs. He dominated Triple J, He's dominated
AD this season. He has met the challenge he's past
tests with flying colors. I just know Tuesday night now
it's not just that he's facing some good bigs, and
two of them them. It's the best team in the
league record wise. They, while losing today, have been running
(47:10):
on all cylinders and have played more consistently at a
higher level than anybody else throughout the majority of this season.
The Cleveland Cavaliers. This is as tough as a guess.
You get him at home, then you get him in
Cleveland a couple weeks later. You gotta get a win
(47:32):
against him. To quote one of our callers earlier, one
of my favorites, Lenny Inglewood, like, show me something to
get a lot of people to rally behind this team
and believe again that if healthy, and this has always
been the caveat all season, if healthy, you get Kawhi
(47:53):
in a seven game series, you got a shot against
anybody to still believe that. I think you have to
beat some of these UBB Rachelon teams coming up. They
beat Memphis twice, can they get at least one game
against Cleveland? And okay, see if they get both, a
(48:15):
lot of people will have their faith restored in this
Clippers club. Kawhi's gotta be great too. I mentioned some
of their weaknesses, like you gotta match up hunt with them,
those two smaller guards. Kawhi's play has been from efficiency standpoint,
a little bit up and down and just not at
(48:37):
that level yet. I think we're twenty five games in
with him this season where I can say, Okay, he's
the same version of himself from last year. I can't
say that yet. He hasn't been. He hasn't been as
efficient as that guy was last year. Is he holding
things back? Has he not fully flipped the switch or
(48:57):
turned it on, turned it up. That could be the case,
because I've seen at times that dunk on Nick Richards
in Phoenix. I was like, whoa, Okay, that's prime Kawhi Leonard.
We've seen it in spurts. He has been running and
pushing it with pace more as of late. I've liked
seeing that tonight after starting zero for three, he hits
a mid range shot and then hit his next six.
(49:20):
Couldn't miss that's last year's version of Kawhi, or he
might miss a couple. Well, once he gets one to go,
it's it's over. He's become super efficient. But you need
your stars to perform. The Clippers have lost some of
these close games as of late because their stars weren't
(49:41):
good enough, or they didn't close against Phoenix, they didn't
close well enough against the Lakers. They weren't good enough
against New Orleans. I thought Kawhi was a little bit
too passive a early in that fourth quarter. Their stars
have to be better in the big moments. Against Milwaukee,
even with Giannis Is off the court and a thirteen
(50:02):
point lead in the fourth quarter, Giannis is off the
court the last six minutes. Never should have lost that game.
Now with Norm back and hopefully he gets you know,
the knocks, the rust off in this game going three
to thirteen, and it's just enough reps for him to
get into a more comfort zone where his shots start
(50:26):
falling against Cleveland immediately. He just needs to see a
couple go right away, and I'm sure he'll be fine.
He was moving well overall out there. He did hit
a three pointer, but we don't know if Chris Dunn's
gonna be available. He's day to day. I mean, that
would be great. Sick him on Darius Garland or Donovan
Mitchell's spider. Of course, Tuesday night, it is a showdown
(50:51):
here for I think, a prove it type of game
for Clipper Nation to see that, Okay, this team, the
blueprints still out there. There's formula that if they're healthy,
they can hang with anyone. Tip off from into a
Dome Tuesday Night between the Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers is
at seven thirty pregame at six thirty. Before we get
(51:12):
out of here. I do want to thank the Clippers organization.
Ralph Lawler, Brian Seeman, Noah Ego, Carlo Jimenez on the call.
We miss you, big bro, but thanks to David for
filling in our head engineer here at into a dome.
Daniel West, our head producer back in Burbank. The callers,
the listeners, the chatters, love you all. We'll talk to
you on Tuesday.
Speaker 1 (51:32):
This has been Clippers Talk right here on your home
for the La Clippers Audio Network. Don't miss a single
edition all season long, after every game.
Speaker 2 (51:41):
The volume is truly impressive, and.
Speaker 1 (51:44):
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Speaker 6 (51:48):
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