(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Buzzer Reaction
 Miami Heat |
 Los Angeles Clippers |
MVP: Rajon Rondo managed to hit timely shots, get to loose balls and find open three-point shooters all night, finishing the night with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 10 assists. He would also notch two steals, including one in the final seconds of the contest all but sealed the victory for the Kings.
That was … a winning streak snapped: The loss not only ended the Clippers current game winning streak, but also ended a 5-game win streak against the Kings. Additionally, this was the first loss of the season in a game where J.J. Redick scores 20 or more points.
X factor: The Clippers were able to stay in the game thanks to going 9 for 20 from behind the arc in the first half. Those shots, however, stopped falling in the game’s final two quarters, where the home team would only make 4 of their remaining 19 three-point attempts.
— Brandon Tomyoy
Tweet(s) Of The Game
Tonight @JJRedick passed Q. Richardson (364) for No. 5 on the Clippers all-time made 3pt-FG leaderboard. Next up, @Corey_Maggette. #LACStats
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) January 17, 2016
Rondo's 10 assists gives him the Sac-era record for most consecutive games with at least 10 assists w/ 8. Theus and Rondo had record of 7
— Jason Jones (@mr_jasonjones) January 17, 2016
Clippers were 13-of-43 on uncontested shots tonight. That's 30.2%. Kings were 23-of-42 (54.8%).
— Clips Nation (@ClipsNationSBN) January 17, 2016
Check Your Messages
Chill Out
For all of their much publicized turmoil, the Sacramento Kings are one of the few teams in the league that employ a player that can single-handedly wreck havoc on your defense. It’s true that DeMarcus Cousins is an immensely difficult matchup problem. But then when you couple him with a resurrected Rajon Rondo, you’re almost faced with a pick your poison proposition. Rondo — displaying that familiar swinging dribble and stealth vision — punished the Clippers down the stretch, most notably on a jumper that stretched Sac’s lead to five late in the game.
Safe to say the room for error was especially small on this night given the absence of DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin. But even with Rondo dishing out a game-high ten assists and Cousins punishing down low, the Clippers were still in a position to pull this game out of the brisk night air. Had it not been for an equally chilly sub-40 shooting percentage from the field, they might have given themselves a better chance. Still, coming off a ten-game winning streak, this game yields little to be worried about and one to file in the archives under ‘off-night’.
-Kaveh Jam
