Back on Track: LA Clippers Defeat Atlanta Hawks 106-93

The Clippers get back into the win column, defeating Atlanta at home

The LA Clippers have gotten back in the win column after defeating the Atlanta Hawks at home on Sunday afternoon. Any win without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George is a good win, but especially when the opponent has a guy like Trae Young on their side. The Clippers were able to hold Young to just 19 points on 8/21 shooting, which was a big reason why they were able to come away with the win.

The Clippers were led offensively by Amir Coffey, who finished with 21 points; however, six other Clippers scored in double figures. After the game, head coach Ty Lue said, "Offensively, that was the best we've played in a while." Coach Lue also had high praise for Coffey, stating he has battled through his two-way contracts, and has made a place for himself in this league.

One of the more encouraging performances for the Clippers in this game came from Serge Ibaka. While he has struggled at times this season, Ibaka came up big in this game, dropping 16 points on 7/8 shooting. Ty Lue said that Serge had a great game, and added that the Clippers were dependent on extended minutes from him due to all of the injuries and league protocols absences. Ibaka certainly stepped up with the bigger opportunity.

Eric Bledsoe had a solid bounce-back performance in this one, following a couple of bad games. Bledsoe went for 12 points and 7 assists, stabilizing the Clippers' offense as their lead guard off the bench. Coach Lue said after the game that Bledsoe made the right read every time in the pick and roll, which was big for the Clippers in this game.

Lou Williams made his return to Los Angeles as an opponent of the Clippers for the first time since being traded, but he was inactive for this game. The Clippers still honored him with a tribute video during the first quarter, giving fans an opportunity to applaud one of the greatest Clippers in franchise history.

Getting back in the win column, the Clippers improve to 20-21, momentarily passing the Minnesota Timberwolves in the standings. Minnesota will play tonight, looking to regain sole possession of the 8th-seed in the Western Conference.