How will the Clippers do in the season-opening game coming up versus the Jazz? What are the Clippers keys to get a W on the road? Who on the Jazz should L.A. be wary of? Which match-ups are you looking forward to seeing? Can the Clipper bench assert themselves like we've seen them do during the preseason?
So it begins...
Zu makes the first bucket for the Clippers- driving floater across the lane cuts the Jazz lead to 5-2
Bradley Beal drills a bingo, off of Harden's behind the back dish, but the Jazz just keeps making open 3's getting easily slams smh
ANOTHER cut, another layup by the Jazz, and the Clips call timeout down 14-7
Harden asserting himself here- the straightaway bingo, deflects the pass off of the Jazz, then a quick push to Zu for the slam! Clips still trail 19-14.
Collins and Dunn in for Beal & DJJ, but more missed chippies, turnovers for the Clips, more 3's and layups for the Jazz.
A nightmarish quarter keeps getting worse. Another turnover, another dunk, and the Clippers are now down 35-16.
Clipper offense can't get anything going, and the Jazz march to the FT line continues. 38-16 Jazz.
Nice hustle by Dunn to get the offensive rebound, to Batum for the corner 3, but the transition defense allows yet another layup. Unbelievable.
At the end of 1, Jazz all over the Clips, 43-19.
Clippers are beginning to find some footing here as Brook Lopez able to drill a pair of bingos, but still unable to stop the Jazz without fouling.
Lopez, again from deep! Clips slice it to 19.
Beal- all day with that midrange in the lane
Dunn has been a big difference maker here with his defense and hustle. Needed to just shoot that open floater in the lane though.
Now guys are afraid to shoot- passing up open 3's and then settling for a contested step-back
Big Zu the rebound and 1, can cut it to 20. Let's see if the Clips and whittle this to 15 or so by halftime.
Lol so much for cutting it to 15- Clippers down 31 at the half, 78-47. Jazz can do no wrong- drilling their open 3's which opens up their drives which they're converting every time.
Let's see if the guys can muster up some self respect and at least try and make this ugly beatdown slightly more competitive?
Now Harden throws it to Kawhi who wasn't even looking. Another dunk by the Jazz, and the deficit is now 37
DJJ boom! And 1! Maybe that'll wake things up for the Clips.
Damn tuned in for 33 point deficit, crazy.
Awful defense- guys constantly chasing Jazz players around screens and allowing cuts or open J's
I’ve only been able to watch highlights of preseason, so I have to ask, is this what I missed. I’m still on the nothing will get better til Lue is gone but I digress…
Clippers just look a step slow period. WTF Nurkic just took a cheap shot to Harden's face. No call from the refs. Harden just stayed on the ground didn't even try to confront Nurkic.
Guys are just slower than the Jazz, especially on defense, rebounding, and can't make open 3's. Jazz just kept pushing off of those bricks, while hitting a ton of 3's themselves.
Didn't look this bad in preseason but it's alarming that guys aren't putting up much of a fight.
That rebound was embarrassing
That's like literally the 3rd or 4th time the Jazz misses a jumper and the shooter gets their own rebound SMH
Man, I don’t want to be negative so hopefully it’s a bad game. This is the season opener so it’s disappointing to see this type of energy in the first game.
Much needed young legs in there for the Clippers now with Cam Christie checking in
Lopez and Collin’s look good?
Good job by Christie deflecting the pass and then getting knocked down
They've done okay. Though I would say Norman Powell would've had a much larger impact in this game.
Fifth bingo by Lopez, cuts it to 25 to 6 minutes to go
I must say the Jazz bigs, especially Kessler & of course Markkennen are tough covers, and very good on the boards & defense. This looks like a much improved team with quite a few impressive young players.
That's what you want to see- a Clipper diving on the floor. That time the rookie Yanic with some good hustle- results in the open 3 by Christie
Final score- Jazz 129-108 over the Clips. The starters were just out-quicked, out-shot and out-rebounded, not to mention committed too many turnovers. Let's hope this is not a sign of things to come.
A few bright spots though- the 3rd strings showed good energy, especially Cam Christie & Yanic. Also newcomers John Collins and Brook Lopez did well. If you take out Lopez's 5 of 11 shooting from deep, the rest of the team- 9 for 34. Very few FT attempts too- only 3 for KL, 4 for Harden & 1 for Zu.
Game highlights:
Too many wealthy old heads. It going to take a miracle for Ty Lue to motivate a bunch of old timers every night. This is the retirement home for last paychecks and last chances, so what do we expect? Can't play just old heads 24/7. The game today calls for some type of contribution from young hungry players. It is what it is. I know everyone loves "name brand players" but that can't be your whole entire philosophy from top to bottom in team building.
Very disappointing game. I actually turned it off, and I've watched every single game last year and most games every year. I waited all this time for that kind of effort
Clippers came out with no energy or motivation. The turnovers from passing were unacceptable. You would think they would have corrected that from last year.
Rant over!
On to the next one, Lets Go Clippers!
