Five observations: Clippers lose Redick, then game to Pacers
The Indiana Pacers defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 103-91 on Wednesday night, dropping the Clippers to just 10-9 this season.
Here are five takeaways from tonight's game:
Injury bug strikes again
J.J. Redick rose for a jumper and landed on George Hill's foot 17 seconds into the game, spraining his right ankle and missing the rest of the contest. Coach Doc Rivers said the injury wasn't 'awful,' given the fact that Redick wanted to return at halftime, but that there was a possibility he could miss some time. With Chris Paul already out, it was an uphill battle for the Clippers to hang with a Pacers team oozing with confidence after winning 11 of their last 13 games heading into Wednesday. That's not to make an excuse -- the Clippers have several chances to tie or take the lead, and they couldn't do it. But with 12 of their next 15 games on the road, the Clips can't afford to be without Paul and Redick for too much longer.
Lance's revenge
Read what Pacers head coach Frank Vogel had to say about @StephensonLance: https://t.co/3NAZif9kkj pic.twitter.com/uv1u0Yj7Ia
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) December 3, 2015
Though he denied it after the game, it was clear that this matchup was personal for Lance Stephenson, a former Pacer. He was amped up from the moment he stepped on the floor, attacking the rim with an assertiveness he has consistently displayed, and then hounding Paul George and Rodney Stuckey on the defensive end. Stephenson was particularly hyped to be facing George, his former teammate, jawing him with him on several occasions, which included walking up to him and whispering something before one of his free throws. Stephenson finished with 19 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists in what was certainly his best game as a Clipper.
Point-guard-by-committee
The Clippers don't have a traditional floor general without Paul, and it showed in tonight's stagnant performance. Blake Griffin is the natural candidate to step up and facilitate more when Paul is out, and he did, leading the team with 6 assists. Besides him, though, the rest of the starters combined for only 1 assist and had a difficult time generating high-percentage looks against the Pacers' starters. Several bench players stepped up, including Josh Smith (4 assists), Stephenson (3) and Jamal Crawford (3), but the Clippers still only finished with 19 assists. Part of that was because they shot the ball so poorly (38 percent), but they have to find ways to generate easier offense when Paul misses time.
When PG-13 becomes Rated R
Paul George is playing out of his mind right now. After missing all but six games last season following his horrific leg injury last year with Team USA, George is playing like a legitimate MVP candidate -- if not for Stephen Curry, he might be the league-leader. The Clippers tried several defenders on George -- Luc Mbah a Moute, Lance Stephenson, Austin Rivers and Wesley Johnson -- but no one could stop or even really bother him. Mbah a Moute and Stephenson had effective moments, but when George is making pull-up 3s like that, there's nothing you can do but put your arm up and shake your head. He's the best wing the Clips have seen this season.
Not their night
Griffin endured probably his worst game of the season, struggling from the floor (6 of 18) and free-throw line (7 of 14). His 6 assists were overshadowed by his 4 turnovers, and the fact that he didn't grab his first rebound until midway through the fourth quarter. With Redick sidelined, Crawford played a team-high 37 minutes and continued to force his offense, missing 11 of his 16 shots and also turning the ball over 4 times. Smith (2 of 7 FGs) and Austin Rivers (4 of 11 FGs) weren't much better. Besides Stephenson, every Clipper underperformed in one way or another, which makes it remarkable that they were still in the game until the final few minutes.
The Clippers host the Orlando Magic on Saturday starting at 7 p.m. on Prime Ticket.
