Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin Rediscovers His Mojo
Blake Griffin had a tough start to March and a particularly poor five-game stretch before sitting out against the Denver Nuggets. Since then, he put up two great games and rediscovered his mojo.
Blake Griffin did not start the month of March on a high note. He scored 17 points on 17 shots in his first game of the month and went downhill from there. Through his first nine games, he averaged 16.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, far below his season averages.
Griffin had an especially rough stretch in his five games before his 28th birthday. He averaged 14.2 points per game and shot just 41.1 percent from the floor. He floated through a 2-3 stretch for the Los Angeles Clippers and struggled to make an impact on either end of the floor.
Blake then sat out against the Denver Nuggets on his 28th birthday and has played well in his subsequent two games. He put up 23 points, eight rebounds and four assists against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.
He followed that performance with 30 points in just three quarters against the New York Knicks. If the Clippers want to make noise in the playoffs, they will have to hope that Blake can build on those strong performances.
Brick City
Blake Griffin appeared to be on track for a great end to the season immediately after the All-Star break. After a dud of a performance against the Golden State Warriors, Griffin put up 29 points against the San Antonio Spurs and 43 points in an overtime win against the Charlotte Hornets.
Unfortunately, Griffin began to struggle once the calendar turned to March. He scored 20 or more points in just two of his first nine March games. He did not break the 20-point threshold once in the five games prior to his 28th birthday.
Griffin's most notable dud was his eight-point performance in a key game against the Utah Jazz. Even when he managed to get into good position, his jump shots were flat and his looks near the basket all seemed to come up short:
With the Clippers locked into a tight battle with the Jazz for fourth place and home-court advantage, Griffin's struggles could not have come at a worse time. Although this game was not an outlier, it certainly was the most impactful game of this stretch.
In a game that was decided by six points, Griffin's off night might have been the difference.
The Road to Recovery
Blake Griffin has played with far more energy since sitting out of the game on his 28th birthday. His strong performance offset one of Chris Paul's worst nights of the season in a comfortable win against the Cavaliers' bench.
Griffin followed that performance with a dominating display against the Knicks in Staples Center on Monday night. Instead of settling for jump shots, he was able to get to the rim almost at will.
Kristaps Porzingis was not strong enough to force him away from the basket, and Carmelo Anthony could not keep with him in transition. Chris Paul was able to lob passes into Griffin over a Knicks defense that repeatedly let Griffin leak out on the fast break:
Blake took a page out of the James Harden playbook against the often-scrambled Knicks defense. He made nine of 13 shots from within five feet of the basket. Griffin also knocked down three of four triples. He attempted just two shots from the mid-range area, missing both.
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Although his improved jump shot has been huge for the Clippers' offense, Blake is at his best when he can fight his way to the rim. His effectiveness near the basket tonight was the main reason that the Clippers held a 97-72 lead after three quarters.
Looking Forward
Prior to the game against the Jazz on March 13, the Clippers held a 2-0 advantage in the season series. They could have secured the tiebreaker with a win. Instead, the Clippers put an intense amount of pressure on themselves for the fourth game in the series.
Saturday's game in Los Angeles will be a must-win for the Clippers. That game will determine the outcome of the season series, and may also decide the fourth seed in the Western Conference.
Blake Griffin had a poor performance in the last game against the Jazz. However, his recent successes indicate that his poor start to March may be behind him.
With the most important game of the Clippers' season coming later this week, Griffin will have to hope that his best games this month are ahead of him.
