When the dust settled in the fierce battle between the Clippers and the Lakers, the balance of victory finally tilted towards the Clippers. Behind this victory, a figure appears particularly tall and dazzling, and that is the leader of the Clippers - Kawhi Leonard.
Not only did he help the team win with his comprehensive performance, he also defeated Anthony Davis, the Lakers' interior pillar, the same way he defeated Antetokounmpo five years ago.
The game entered the fourth quarter, and the Clippers faced a huge challenge. The Lakers relied on the outstanding performance of Davis and Russell to chase the score to 106 to 108. At this time, Coach Lu of the Clippers made a decisive adjustment and replaced Theis, who was not performing well, with Leonard. This substitution immediately changed the trend of the game. The Clippers launched a wave of 15-6 attacks and completely sealed the victory.
In this wave of attacks, Leonard did not focus on scoring, but played more of an organizer and defender. Calmly directing the team's offense on the court, he also used his defensive abilities to limit the Lakers' scoring. On the defensive end, he went directly against Davis, leaving the Lakers' interior core scoreless in the final stages of the game. On the offensive end, he sent 4 key assists to help the team stabilize its position.
's performance reminds people of the scene between Leonard and Antetokounmpo in the Eastern Conference finals five years ago. At that time, Leonard also shouldered a heavy responsibility on the defensive end, and he also provided a large number of assists on the offensive end. It was this performance that helped the team finally defeat the powerful Bucks.
And now, he defeated Davis of the Lakers in the same way, once again proving his irreplaceable value at critical moments, and letting us understand: Leonard can not only score and influence the direction of the game, he can also defend and assist. But it's okay.
Leonard's ability to assume such an important role at critical moments is due to his comprehensive skills and excellent physical fitness. He has excellent defensive ability and defensive awareness, and can limit the opponent's scoring at critical moments. At the same time, he also has excellent organizational skills and passing vision, and can connect the team's offense on the offensive end. In addition, he also has stable mid-range shooting and breakthrough capabilities, and can score points for the team when needed.
Of course, the victory of this "Los Angeles Derby" cannot be separated from the support and cooperation of other Clippers players. In this game, Westbrook, George and Harden all played important roles. They not only contributed points to the team on the offensive end, but also gave Leonard enough support on the defensive end. With this kind of teamwork, the Clippers were able to withstand the pressure at critical moments and win.
For the Lakers, the loss in this game was a heavy blow. After all, they once saw hope of a comeback during the game, but in the end they were defeated by Leonard's defense. Davis, as the team's inside core, was completely restricted by Leonard at the critical moment of this game. This also exposed the Lakers' problems and deficiencies on the offensive end. They need to strengthen improvements in this area in future games, and perhaps speed up the process of introducing a third star.
This game between the Clippers and the Lakers was a contest full of passion and confrontation; Leonard scored 25 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals and 1 block, the second triple-double of his career. Leonard used his comprehensive performance to help the Clippers. The fleet won, defeating Antetokounmpo the same way they once defeated Antetokounmpo in high-end games, showing their strength and style as the league's top star. For the Lakers, they need to carefully summarize the lessons from this game and make full preparations for future games.
Basketball is a collective sport. No matter how strong one person is, he cannot defeat the entire team. Only through teamwork and collaboration can he exert his greatest combat effectiveness. The Clippers fully demonstrated this in this game. They were able to unite and fight together at critical moments, and finally won.
Perhaps the only factor that can prevent the Clippers from rushing to the championship is injuries; and the unity and desire to win that exuded from the Warriors dynasty are now faintly reflected in this Clippers team. .
