Clippers Postgame: LA rallies late to top Boston, 107-104
The Clippers knew it would require an adjustment period to get Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on the same page together; for most of the game, they looked like two players who had only practiced once together.
Fortunately for the Clippers, with the best team in the Eastern Conference in town, they had enough depth to overcome some awkward moments, including 23 turnovers and 18 rebounds for Boston. Lou Williams' 27 points and Patrick Beverley's 16 rebounds led the way for the Clippers, who earned a 107-104 victory in overtime after fighting back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
While the stars struggled, the supporting players hit some timely shots to make Boston pay for focusing so much attention on Leonard and George. Beverley hit four threes, none bigger than his triple to put the Clippers up 5 with 43.9 seconds left (though I mistakenly said 4 in the video).
The Clippers used their defensive tenacity to compensate for growing pains on offense. Their hard closeouts and rim protection forced the Celtics into shooting 39.4% from the field and 26.7% from 3-point range. Their defense at the point of attack in particular frustrated Kemba Walker into only 13 points on 4-of-17 shooting.
As Doc Rivers said postgame, "It was an ugly win, but it was beautiful." Listen in as Joe Morgan and I discuss what was one of the best games of the NBA season thus far.
