Leonard, George show real can-do
Dynamic duo helps Clippers tie series vs. top-seeded Jazz
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George know it takes the two of them to make things go right if the Clippers are going to advance beyond the second round of the NBA playoffs for the first time. Both responded again Monday night.
Leonard and George each scored 31 points to propel the Clippers to a 118-104 victory over the top-seeded Jazz and even their Western Conference semifinal at two games apiece.
“Myself and Kawhi got full trust in each other,” said George, who was playing in his 100th career postseason game. “It’s opportunities for us to score when we get switches, but then there’s opportunities to allow our teammates to be aggressive and make plays for them when we can attack our mismatches. I think it’s just a healthy mix.”
Leonard and George also became fifth duo since the merger with 30 points each in back-to-back playoff games.
“These guys understand that we need them to be the head of the snake and be super aggressive,” said Marcus Morris Sr., who had 24 points and was 5 of 6 on 3-pointers. “Those guys are our leaders. We go as they go and they understand that. Guys have just been picking up the slack behind them.”
In a game that the fourth-seeded Clippers dominated all night at home, Leonard provided the highlight with his dunk late in the first half. He got the ball just beyond the 3-point line, drove past Royce O’Neale in the lane and then slammed it over Derrick Favors to give the Clippers a 62-38 lead with 1:24 remaining in the second quarter.
Game 5 is Wednesday night in Salt Lake City.
Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz with 37 points, making him the first player since the Warriors’ Stephen Curry in 2019 to have six straight 30-point games in the playoffs.
Ingles added 19 and Bojan Bogdanovic 18 for the Jazz, who have lost back-to-back playoff games for the first time this year.
“I think we shot ourselves in the foot a few times with the turnovers. And that’s really what kind of played into their taking advantage,” Mitchell said. “When you allow a team to get out in transition, get going early, it’s tough to come back after that.” Embiid stll hurting: Joel Embiid and the 76ers barely have a leg to stand on. Embiid can’t jump. He can’t get any lift in his shots — notable in a blown layup that should have won Game 4 of the East semifinal Monday night in Atlanta — and couldn’t make any buckets in the second half.
Embiid is day to day.
So, now, are the top-seeded Sixers. Embiid continues to suit up and play through torn cartilage in his right knee — admirably, perhaps — but at the point of diminishing returns for the 76ers. The big man is hurting as the 76ers return home Wednesday for Game 5 against the Hawks. Embiid and Ben Simmons’ failures in Game 4 keyed the 76ers’ collapse down the stretch and let the Hawks pull away with the win 103-100 and tie the series 2-2.
Embiid spent time in the locker room in the second quarter and was 0-for-12 from the field in the second half. With the 76ers trailing 101-100, Embiid missed an easy look on a layup that he normally would have dunked home for the go-ahead bucket.
He finished with 17 points and 21 rebounds.
“I’m just trying to do the best I can,” Embiid said after the game.
The All-Star center wasn’t the only slumping against the Hawks: the 76ers blew a 13-point halftime lead, made only four baskets in the fourth quarter, and scored only 38 points in the second half.
The 76ers took a day off from practice Tuesday and kept it to a film session. The review was ugly. Coach Doc Rivers said a case of “hero ball” popped up where players tried to win the game instead of passing to open players. Rivers said almost every possession down the stretch had a wideopen 76er standing with his arms raised calling for the ball, and it went elsewhere.
Rivers said Embiid will be out there for Game 5.
“We wouldn’t put Joel out there if he couldn’t play,” Rivers said Tuesday. “I’ll take what we have. I have no concerns.”