Two of the NBA’s best defensive clubs collided Wednesday night and with that came the expectations of a slugfest between the Clippers and Orlando Magic.
The Clippers already were a team that was not the most potent offense, their 109.2 points per game the eighth-lowest in the league. And now they had to face a Magic team that allowed the least amount of points in the league (102.2) and was second in defensive rating (103.9). More so, the Magic had entered the game riding a six-game win streak in which none of their opponents had scored over 100 points and they were doing all this without their best player, Paolo Banchero, who is out with an oblique injury.
So, this is what the Clippers were up against and what they had to deal with Norman Powell out with a left hamstring strain. Powell is the team’s leading scorer (23 points per game) who was making 49% of his shots and 48.7% of his three-pointers.
But the Clippers knew they could hold their own defensively, and with their offense actually humming, they built a 19-point lead in the third quarter and pulled out a 104-93 win over the Magic at Intuit Dome.
The Clippers shot 49.4% from the field and 50% (11-for-22) from three-point range.
The Clippers’ proof about their defensive swagger was in them allowing just 109.1 points per game, the fourth-best in the league, in how they led the league in steals, collecting 10.3 per game, and in how they were ranked seventh in defensive rating (109.7).
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“So defensively like, there’s going to be a tug of war tonight on both sides of the basketball,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said pregame. “So, we just got to be prepared for their aggressiveness, make sure we own our space and I think we’ll be fine.”
In Powell’s place, the Clippers started Amir Coffey, and he was more than fine. His game was on point from the start, as Coffey made his first three three-pointers and his first four shots in the first quarter for 11 points. He finished the first half with 14 points on five-for-six shooting and four-for-four on threes.
As a group, the Clippers shot the ball well, making 51.3% of their shots and a sizzling 63.6% of their threes in the first half.
But as they have been all season, the Clippers turned the ball over 14 times in the first 24 minutes, giving them less shot opportunities. The Clippers average 15.4 turnovers per game, tied for the eighth-most in the league. They finished the game with 25 turnovers.
As for when Powell will return, Lue said his high-scoring guard won’t play Friday night, “and then we’ll see from there.”
James Harden led the Clippers with 24 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
