George and Leonard Lead Clippers to Victory Over Bulls Despite Harden’s Absence
In a game where James Harden was sidelined due to a left shoulder injury, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard teamed up to score 55 points, guiding the Clippers to a 126-111 victory over the Bulls on the road, ending a recent two-game losing streak. Despite the absence of Harden, the Clippers improved to 6-6 since the All-Star break and currently hold the 4th position in the Western Conference standings, trailing the Timberwolves by 2.5 games.
Clippers Maintain Over .500 Win Percentage for 13th Straight Year
With their win against the Bulls, the Clippers secured their 42nd victory of the season, ensuring a winning percentage over .500 for the 13th consecutive season, marking the longest active streak in the league. Throughout these 13 seasons, the Clippers’ lowest win total was 40 in the shortened 2011-12 season, while they reached 42 wins in both the 2017-18 and 2021-22 full seasons. Their highest win total during this period was 57 in the 2013-14 season. However, since 2017, the Clippers have yet to surpass the 50-win mark in a single season.
George’s Career-High Shooting Performance
In a remarkable display, Paul George showcased exceptional accuracy by only missing one of his 12 field goal attempts, resulting in a shooting percentage of over 90%. His 28 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds in this game marked his career-best shooting performance. George’s stellar performance also included sinking 6 three-pointers, bringing his career total to 2,204, surpassing Jamal Crawford to rank 11th all-time. His next targets are Jason Terry with 2,282 and Vince Carter with 2,290 three-pointers.
Coach Emphasizes Increased Ball Handling for George
Reflecting on George’s outstanding performance, head coach Tyronn Lue stated, “We’ll make sure PG has the ball a lot more as we move forward, especially running more pick-and-roll sets with him as the ball handler.”
Leonard’s Strong Performance
Kawhi Leonard, one of the Clippers’ star players, also delivered an impressive performance, scoring 27 points on 12-of-17 shooting, along with 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Additionally, Bones Hyland contributed 17 points, 11 assists, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals, while Norman Powell added 18 points.
Harden’s Absence Ends Longest Streak in 7 Years
James Harden’s absence from the game marked the end of his longest streak of consecutive appearances since 2017. This was the first game of the season for the Clippers without either Harden or Russell Westbrook on the court.
Clippers Maintain Hot Start, Cruise Past Bulls
Despite missing two of their stars, the Clippers started the game strongly. Leonard and George combined for 27 points on 13-of-17 shooting, leading the Clippers to a 65.2% field goal percentage in the first quarter, including a scorching 71.4% from beyond the arc. The Clippers maintained their lead throughout the game, securing a comfortable victory over the Bulls.
Bulls Unable to Overcome Clippers’ Offensive Prowess
The Bulls, led by DeMar DeRozan with 21 points, struggled to keep up with the Clippers’ offensive firepower. Nikola Vucevic contributed 19 points and 6 rebounds, while Alex Caruso added 17 points and 6 assists. Andre Drummond chipped in with 15 points and 7 rebounds off the bench.(Panalo999)