In the NBA, you can only beat the teams in front of you. Last night, the LA Clippers illustrated this fact. They easily beat the Portland Trail Blazers.
It wasn’t a surprise. The Clippers were supposed to handle the Blazers. However, a victory is still a victory. The Clippers defeated Portland by a final score of 116-103.
“It was a loot game for us”
– James Harden
Harden may be right. Regardless of the level of competition, the Clippers looked like title contenders last night. Their fanbase is currently breathing a collective sigh of relief.
Here are four takeaways from their dominant performance.
This should not be breaking news. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are both elite scorers at three levels. Neither is a particularly gifted passer. This Clippers machine does not operate properly without its motor.
Last night they got their engine back. James Harden scored 19 points on 6/11 shooting from the field and 5/9 on long range shooting. More importantly, he finished this contest with 14 assists and 3 turnovers.
This is exactly the version of Harden the Clippers need. Yes, he is still a threat to score. The Clippers need Harden to leverage that gravity to set up his teammates. That’s exactly what Harden did last night, and the results speak for themselves.
