There isn’t a game on the schedule where Eric Gordon doesn’t come in handy, but against Boston’s ball pressure in the halfcourt, EJ’s absence is especially costly. The Celtics’ defense focuses on cutting off large swaths of the floor with hard traps. The best way to alleviate that pressure? Perimeter spacing, something that can be achieved with a couple of lethal perimeter threats. Without a shooter like Gordon keeping the defense honest, the Celtics’ tighten their vise even further.
Boston 95, Clippers 89
On January - 25 - 2010
Clippers 92, Washington 78
On January - 24 - 2010
The Clippers’ exceptional defensive effort Sunday afternoon in Washington features only two blemishes:
- When the Clips run perimeter traps at the Wizards’ guards, the rotations onto Antawn Jamison aren’t prompt. Jamison is one of the best bigs in the league at finding mismatches or open space off blitzes and he burns the Clippers on a few occasions, keeping Washington in the game longer than they rightly should be.
Eric Gordon Questionable for Tonight
On January - 21 - 2010
Gordon, who suffered a sprained left big toe last night in the win over Chicago, is listed as questionable for tonight’s game at Denver.
The Clips will be without Sebastian Telfair, who is back in Los Angeles getting treatment on his strained groin.
If neither is able to play, the Clippers would be extremely short-handed in the backcourt, with only Mardy Collins and Ricky Davis available off the bench as perimeter players. Expect Rasual Butler to slide over to the 2, with Al Thornton at the 3 in the starting lineup. In 219 minutes, this unit has not played well together, with a net -31, an offensive efficiency rating of 100, and a defensive efficiency rating in the neighborhood of 108-109.
Video Breakdown: The Big 19-0 Run
On November - 21 - 2009
The Clippers scored 19 unanswered points against Denver over a 4:10 stretch that spanned the first and second quarters. The spurt was fueled largely by the second unit of Sebastian Telfair, Mardy Collins, Rasual Butler, Craig Smith and DeAndre Jordan — along with big contributions from Baron Davis and Chris Kaman on the front end of the run.
Here’s how it went down at Staples Center Friday night:
Clippers 106, Denver 99
On November - 21 - 2009
We’ll have a video breakdown of the Clippers’ big first half run for you tomorrow. In the meantime, here’s something I filed for TrueHoop on the Clippers’ big exhale:
If ever there were a team and a head coach in desperate need of a win, the Los Angeles Clippers and Mike Dunleavy were it.