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The stars seemed to align for the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night when they took on the Memphis Grizzlies, who are still reeling from the loss of Ja Morant following some off-court troubles. The Grizzlies were also without three other crucial rotation players such as Dillon Brooks due to suspension, and both Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke due to injury. And for two and a half quarters, Paul George, in particular, seemed hell-bent on carrying the Clippers on his back amid an uncharacteristically poor shooting night from Kawhi Leonard.
However, something clicked for the Grizzlies in the third quarter; thanks to a 25-point outburst from Tyus Jones, they proceeded to score 51 points in that period, taking a 15-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Clippers faced the very legitimate prospect of going 0-6 since the All-Star break. But both Leonard and George stepped up when it mattered most.
After the Clippers went small and stifled the Grizzlies' free-flowing offense in the fourth, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George got the Clippers home safely and soundly. Following a 15-point final period from Leonard, and one clutch play after another from George, including a vital putbacko and a steal on Jaren Jackson Jr, that sealed the game, the Clippers took home a much-needed 135-129 victory that made all sorts of history in the process.
Per NBA History, Leonard and George became just the first pair of Clippers teammates to both finish the same game with 30+ points and 10+ rebounds since 1982. George, in particular, looked like he was channeling “Playoff P” with his postseason-caliber 42-point, 11-board performance, while Leonard bounced back from a rough start to end with 34 points and 10 boards.
These Clippers also became just the sixth team in NBA history to win a game while allowing an opponent to score 51+ points in a quarter. Funnily enough, among those six teams, three of those are iterations of Clippers teams (Buffalo Braves in 1972 and San Diego Clippers in 1982).
These are the kinds of victories that could end up galvanizing an entire team. After all, the Grizzlies, despite the absences of Ja Morant and company, are no slouches. What Kawhi Leonard and Paul George need now is for the entire team to step up, especially on the defensive end.
