LOS ANGELES — There were a whole bunch of storylines going into Friday’s Clippers-Nuggets game but there’s only one coming out of it: Kawhi Leonard’s jaw. With just over six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Kawhi took a shot from teammate Serge Ibaka’s elbow. Kawhi went down and blood poured out of his mouth.
The official diagnosis was a mouth laceration and Leonard had to get eight stitches after the game to treat it, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com.
“I was thinking of the worst,” Paul George said of the play. “I didn’t know if he was concussed or how hard of a hit [it was] or what actually happened because I didn’t see it. I just saw him laying on the ground. That was first and foremost, just making sure he was OK.”
Clippers Showcased Composure, Offensive Firepower
Kawhi’s fall came at a crucial time. The Clippers were firing up 3s and making them and Denver could not keep up, especially with Jamal Murray seemingly unaware that the season had started. But the Clippers’ massive lead of 24 points had dropped to a tentative 11 with just over six minutes to go. In the Western Conference playoffs just a few months ago, the Clippers held big leads in several games and saw those leads disappear as Denver won that series and advanced to the Western Conference Finals. No one could blame the Clippers, or their fans if they started to have flashbacks and decided this was the time to press pause and take a deep breath.
With 6:07 left and Denver down 11, Jamal Murray took an open three and missed. The Clippers came down the court and Serge Ibaka took an open three – and hit it. This was the crucial sequence of the game, for the Clippers did not look back and won 121-108. The Clippers did not exorcise the demons of the playoffs but they did win a decisive victory against a top-four team in the West, after beating the champion Lakers in the opener.
Paul George has started out this season on fire. In the first game, George shot 10-12 with an output of 36 points. In this second game, George shot a very solid 8-14 for 23 points. George is the hot hand on the Clippers right now and there is every reason to believe that George is on his way toward a significant season.
George benefits from the vast offensive weaponry that the Clippers display. Upfront, Serge Ibaka is a very capable shooter, and Ivica Zubac does what is so critical but often lacking in big men around the league – Zubac has good hands, he catches the ball off pick and rolls, and he puts in the short shots. It sounds so simple yet it is not and that’s why Zubac has a four-year contract.
George and Kawhi can post-up, shoot off the dribble, and hit 3s. Lou Williams is always capable of carrying the team for stretches. Luke Kennard was not at his best tonight but he is dangerous and twitchy and he is going to get red-hot in many games.
There is plenty of scoring on this team. Not all of it is easy, especially when George is out but Kawhi is in the game and double-teamed while the guards are not hitting their shots. The team has to stagger Kawhi with better shooters, so Kawhi can get the ball, dribble a couple of times and take his jumper. That’s one of the game’s go-to shots, but Kawhi cannot go to it if he’s amid a group of middling shooters. Give Kawhi space.
The Clippers are off to a strong start. 2-0 against the Western Conference’s best teams last season. This is the time to work out all the kinks, to experiment and to play the best rotations, to get ready for the inevitable, and hopefully long, playoff journey. This was not a victory that offered revenge for the loss to Denver in the very recent playoffs. This was a victory that offered a glimpse into what the Clippers can do in the playoffs in the very near future.
