The Los Angeles Clippers didn't come out of Fiserv Forum smelling like roses on Thursday night. Neither Kawhi Leonard nor Paul George were able to stop the Milwaukee Bucks from completing a monster comeback on their home floor – and NBA Twitter made sure to let them know.
The Clippers held a 21-point lead midway through the second half but saw that erased in a hurry, thanks in large part to Giannis Antetokounmpo's 54-point eruption. It's the Bucks star's second-highest point total for his career and the third time in the last 11 games he's dropped a 50-piece.
GIANNIS' 54-PIECE HELPS THE BUCKS RALLY FROM DOWN 21 TO STUN THE CLIPPERS! 😳 pic.twitter.com/LatumTJvD1
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 3, 2023
. @Giannis_An34 gave the clippers 54 quesadillas & 19 beef tacos 🤦🏾♂️ pic.twitter.com/ty0BPe63Ni
— Famouslos32 (@famouslos32) February 3, 2023
Giannis brought the 50-piece but it was the Clippers who reminded fans of the annoyingly catchy Burger King commercials that keep coming – just like the team's endless isolations on offense.
[burger king commercial but clippers]
iso. iso. iso. iso. iso.
— Sherwob Holmes (@WorldWideWob) February 3, 2023
Waiting for the stats to update, but a combination of too much isolation basketball AND not enough paint attacks/too much settling. Offensive process in the final few minutes was very tough to watch. https://t.co/T0wWqWUbZv
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) February 3, 2023
The Clippers managed to force two turnovers in the game's final 32 seconds to get two cracks at getting a game-winning basket. Both times they went with a Kawhi Leonard isolation that just infuriated onlookers watching at home.
It was an iso but they get another chance. Just don't get why not run something out of the timeout after being so stagnant for so long. pic.twitter.com/CPJtirqMlK
— Mo Dakhil (@MoDakhil_NBA) February 3, 2023
The Clippers have so many options and versatility and their best attribute is their shooting versatility.
And then they call timeout to set up a Kawhi ISO fadeaway and then run another one late.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) February 3, 2023
A handful didn't just clown the Clippers for their non-stop isos, but rather exactly what kind of isolations they were getting. They do have two great iso threats, but many felt they weren't put into the position to get the right matchups on them.
The Clippers don't just play iso heavy–they play stupid iso heavy.
They don't create mismatches to attack weak defenders and force doubles, and they aren't ruthless with the advantages they create.
— Lucas (@LucasJHann) February 3, 2023
I don’t think I’ve ever seen worse clutch time offense than the Clippers had tonight
— 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒆 🌩 (@Three_Cone) February 3, 2023
Kawhi and Paul George combined for a ghastly 2 of 13 in the final frame, which saw their third option in Norman Powell as the more efficient scorer down the stretch. The Clippers played him throughout the entire fourth quarter without a single minute of rest but LA couldn't muster the right offensive mix to stem the tide.
Kawhi Leonard in the 4th quarter:
2 points, 1-of-8 FGPaul George in the 4th quarter:
2 points, 1-of-5 FGNorman Powell in the 4th quarter:
10 points, 4-of-7 FG— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) February 3, 2023
The Clippers' arrow is still trending up as they've won six of their past eight games. But the loss to the Bucks emphasizes they're far from where they need to be in order to win a title.
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