Tag: Los Angeles Clippers

Social media reacts to Clippers sending Golden State to play-in tournament: ‘Harden might’ve actually secured All-NBA ‘

The Clippers defeated the Warriors 124-119 in the final game of the regular season behind great performances from James Harden (38 points, 10 assists) and Kawhi Leonard (33 points), and avoided the play-in tournament. Golden State fell to the …

The Clippers defeated the Warriors 124-119 in the final game of the regular season behind great performances from James Harden (38 points, 10 assists) and Kawhi Leonard (33 points), and avoided the play-in tournament. Golden State fell to the seventh position in the Western Conference and will now have to face the Grizzlies for a playoff spot.

Here’s how social media reacted to one of the finest games of the 2024-25 season.

Utah Jazz celebrate Drew Eubanks’ birthday by trading him to the Clippers

Utah’s front office really knows how to make someone feel special on their birthday.

The Utah Jazz celebrated the birthday of forward Drew Eubanks with a pretty unique present: A one-way ticket to Los Angeles.

Barely an hour after Utah’s social media team sent out a birthday graphic for the 28-year-old Oregon State product, the Jazz front office traded Eubanks and Patty Mills to the Los Angeles Clippers for P.J. Tucker, Mo Bamba, a future second-round pick and cash, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania and Bobby Marks.

Considering the Jazz are 10-36 — dead last in the Western Conference — while the Clippers are 28-20 and a true contender for a top-six playoff seed, Utah essentially gave Eubanks a shot at the playoffs for his birthday.

Few teams have ever been as thoughtful or kind when it comes to giving their players a birthday present.

In 37 games with Utah this season, Eubanks is averaging 15.4 minutes off the bench, providing an average of 5.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.

Most importantly, he’s leaving a wintery Salt Lake City for a warm and sunny Los Angeles. There’s no better gift than that and NBA fans were thrilled for him.

Pat Connaughton/Blake Wesley NBA Tracker: Jan. 20-26

One player got to go overseas this past week.

Former Notre Dame guard [autotag]Blake Wesley[/autotag] had the opportunity of a lifetime this past week. He traveled with the San Antonio Spurs to Paris to play two games against the Indiana Pacers. He appeared in both games, and while he failed to score in either one, he did have three assists and a steal in the first game.

Wesley also was the subject of a very prominent post we published this past week. We sat down for an interview with his parents Derrick and Leslie. Our thanks again to them for taking the time to do that.

Back in the U.S., [autotag]Pat Connaughton[/autotag], Notre Dame’s other active NBA player, got some playing time with the Milwaukee Bucks. He scored his only basket while also grabbing five rebounds and dishing out three assists Jan. 23 against the Miami Heat. He had one more rebound and two more assists Jan. 25 against the Los Angeles Clippers, bringing his weekly averages to 1.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

Here is a gallery of both players from the past week:

Look: Sean McVay was courtside at the Celtics-Clippers game

Sean McVay was sitting courtside for the Celtics-Clippers game on Wednesday night

With the Los Angeles Rams out of the playoffs, Sean McVay is taking some much-deserved time to unwind and enjoy the offseason. There’s still plenty of work to be done in terms of building the Rams’ roster and preparing for the draft, but it’s not as if he’s game planning for Los Angeles’ next opponent like he normally would be during the week.

On Wednesday night, he was sitting courtside at the Boston Celtics-Los Angeles Clippers game. To his right was Reggie Scott, the Rams’ VP of sports medicine and performance.

They caught a good game at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood, though the Celtics pulled out the win in overtime, 117-113.

He got a big cheer when they showed him on the big screen at the game, too.

Pat Connaughton/Blake Wesley NBA Tracker: Dec. 30-Jan. 5

We actually have game action to talk about this week.

After a week of neither former Notre Dame player in NBA seeing game action, it finally happened again this past week. Granted, both players only saw only one game of action apiece, but it still was an improvement from the stretches they just had experienced.

[autotag]Blake Wesley[/autotag] saw action with the San Antonio Spurs for the first time in five games in a 36-point win over the Los Angeles Clippers on New Year’s Eve. In over eight-and-a-half minutes, he made his lone field-goal attempt, dished out four assists and blocked one shot.

[autotag]Pat Connaughton[/autotag] found minutes with the Milwaukee Bucks for the first time in six games Jan. 2 in a three-point loss to the Brooklyn Nets. Over nine-and-a-half minutes, he shot 1 of 3 from the field, grabbed four rebounds and had an assist, steal and block.

It’s hard to know when either player will see the court again, but this stretch at least gives us hope that it will happen sooner than later.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89

NBA trainer Joe Abunassar: ‘Being great demands more sacrifice than most are willing to make’

Joe Abunassar, a name synonymous with elite basketball training, brings nearly three decades of expertise to the game. Over his 27-year career, Joe has trained over 300 NBA players, including Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and Chauncey Billups. As the …

Joe Abunassar, a name synonymous with elite basketball training, brings nearly three decades of expertise to the game. Over his 27-year career, Joe has trained over 300 NBA players, including Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and Chauncey Billups.

As the founder of Impact Basketball, Joe revolutionized the field by integrating on-court skills, strength, nutrition, and mental performance into one comprehensive system.

Abunassar sat down with HoopsHype reflecting on his journey, his approach to blending drills with game readiness, the importance of building trust with players, and his plans for the future of Impact Basketball.

James Harden morphed into Kawhi Leonard for one play and stopped the Spurs all by himself

What if James Harden played defense like this all the time?

James Harden has been maligned for most of his career as a generally poor defender.

At best, he wasn’t trying because of the offensive load he was taking on. At worst? He just didn’t care. Defense never seemed like it was his problem. Unless, of course, he was playing in the post. Then he took it personally. Just ask Daryl Morey.

But on Monday, Harden looked like an All-World defender for once. It was almost like he morphed into his teammate, Kawhi Leonard, to lock up Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs all by himself.

Harden registered four different deflections on this possession by my count.

That’s some incredible defense. It didn’t really amount to much in that quarter — the Spurs ended up dropping 40 points to start the game.

Still! That’s impressive work from Harden. And LA still ended up getting the win despite having to pull off a 26-point comeback.

The Wall in the Intuit Dome is a brilliant idea and other teams should absolutely steal it

This is what a true home court advantage looks like.

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Good morning, folks! Welcome to the Morning Win. Thanks for reading today. We appreciate you.

Quick lil’ storytime for you. I went to the Washington Spirit’s final home game against the Chicago Red Stars on Sunday. Fantastic outing.

One of the things I enjoy the most about going to soccer games is the fandom. It’s electric. The Spirit, specifically, have a “Spirit Section” for fans to sit in and cheer on the team.

There are no actual seats there. The fans stand the entire time, up on their feet with hands in the air, cheering for Washington. They have specific chants they get into throughout the game. And don’t let the Spirit score a goal — you won’t be able to hear yourself think.  That’s what a true home field advantage looks like. Whenever I go to a soccer game, I always wonder why this isn’t more of a thing at basketball games.

Steve Ballmer seems to have had the same thought when envisioning The Wall in the Clippers’ new Intuit Dome.

THE WALL WINS: The Wall defeated Kevin Durant (temporarily) in its first game.

Out of all the bells and whistles included in the $2 billion arena, the enormous fan section is the most impressive thing included. It’s 51 rows of uninterrupted fan seating. No cut cards. It’s honestly impressive.

Reading about it was one thing — seeing it in action was another. The fans were menacing. They were loud. They broke into song. They weren’t exactly the most organized group of fans quite yet, but it’s only Game 1. They didn’t need to be. Their raucousness, alone, was enough to get the job done.

Imagine shooting free throws in front of this. No wonder it broke Kevin Durant.

This is such a fantastic idea that every NBA team needs to steal. The environments around the league have gotten way too chill over the years. It just doesn’t feel like arenas get as loud as they used to.

I vividly remember when the Steph Curry era began to peak in Golden State in 2013 at Oracle Arena. Those “Warriorrrrrrrrrs” chants used to give me chills. Those rarely happen now. What you’re more likely to run into these days are teams just pumping artificial noise into the stands to rattle the arena. The vibes, outside of the exciting moments, are generally just too chill these days.

That’s not on the fans, by the way. It’s more about the vibe in the arenas now. Between the increases in ticket prices siloing out some passionate fans, the intrusive advertising you see everywhere in arenas these days and the sponsored gimmicks that take up arena space, there are simply just fewer people coming to games and cheering like their lives depend on it.

Not those fans on The Wall. They’re there to play the sixth man on the court role in earnest. It’s a beautiful sight to see and something that could potentially give the Clippers a competitive advantage. At the very least, it’ll make watching Clippers games much more entertaining for those sitting at home.

STEVE BALLMER JOINS IN: Ballmer sat with The Wall at the Intuit Dome’s NBA debut

This should be something every team in the NBA copies. If the Clippers, of all teams, can bring passionate fans into the arena and get them to cheer like that, then almost every team should be able to do so.

All they need to do is make space for it to happen.

Could Russell Westbrook be the missing piece?

Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The back half of Russell Westbrook’s NBA career has been tumultuous, to say the least. The future Hall of Fame point guard has played for five teams in six years and has crashed and burned at every stop.

Now, he’s a Denver Nugget. And it’s easy to expect the results to be similar here. But our Robert Zeglinski writes that Westbrook could be the key to unlocking a new element for Denver’s offense in his latest for FTW.

“Two summers ago, Jokic’s Nuggets climbed the NBA’s summit, capturing the franchise’s first-ever championship while soft-launching dynasty discussions. The Nuggets fell short of winning back-to-back titles in May. They then fell into an offseason marked by turmoil at worst and stagnancy at best.

As the Nuggets see it, the now-eldest player in their regular rotation could catalyze them to glory once more in simultaneous pursuit of his first-ever elusive championship ring. Westbrook could be their new Bruce Brown, the backup, relentlessly competitive guard who brought endless intensity en route to Denver’s 2023 title”

Zeglinski explains how Westbrook has already shifted the Nuggets’ culture in a big way with his feature. He’s playing the mentor role for Jamal Murray and a motivator for the rest of the squad.

It’s an interesting fit that I didn’t think would make much sense initially. After reading this, though, I think this partnership between Westbrook and the Nuggets could be promising.

MORE ON WESTBROOK: Read Robert’s full piece here

Kennesaw State broke college football

No, I can’t believe Kennesaw State beat Liberty either.

One team came into the game 5-0 without a loss. The other came into the game 0-6 without a win. Both teams left with a “1” replacing that zero.

What made the moment so delightful, though, was State fans rushing the field a bit too quickly before their win. Cory Woodroof has more here:

“As they darn well should’ve, the Kennesaw State fans in attendance for the historic home victory stormed the field in celebration. However, they were about a second too soon on their first attempt (really at no fault of their own).

There was about a second left on the clock when it looked like the game was over, and Liberty had the ball down three points. If there would be some sort of last-ditch Hail Mary in the team’s arsenal of plays, the Flames would technically have a second to try it.”

What a moment. I know the Alabama-Vandy game will likely be considered the upset of the year, and rightfully so. But this has got to be up there, man. It’s Kennesaw State’s first win against an FBS school and it happened like this.

College football is the best.

Quick hits: Pistons gonna Piston … Trade deadline buyers and sellers … and more

— The Pistons somehow got a technical for having six players on the court against the Pacers because, of course, they did. Here’s Cory with more.

— Christian D’Andrea put together a buyers and sellers list for all 32 NFL teams here as we head toward the trade deadline.

— The New York Liberty are partying with Meghan Thee Stallion now after winning it all. I’m jealous. Meg Hall has more.

— An Eagles fan dropped a “Go Birds” at Kamala Harris’ Town Hall meeting on Wednesday because of course. Charles Curits has more.

— Here’s Cory Woodroof with five running backs who could be available at the trade deadline.

— And here are picks against the spread from the staff for the College Football weekend ahead.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading. We appreciate your time. Peace! Have a great Thursday.

-Sykes ✌️

The Wall at the Clippers’ Intuit Dome defeated Kevin Durant (temporarily)

The Wall is SO AMAZING.

Well, good news, Los Angeles Clippers fans who were at the Intuit Dome: you won a free Chick-fil-A sandwich thanks to The Wall, the new fan section that is quite amazing.

The bad news? Your team lost, and it was partially thanks to Kevin Durant silencing the crowd.

But let’s go back for a sec: in the fourth quarter, KD stepped up to the line in front of The Wall to attempt a couple of free throws … and he missed them both, triggering the free chicken.

MORE: Stunning photos from the Intuit Dome at the home opener

But also, Durant was wowed by The Wall, as you’ll see below. It’s clear that will be a big thing going forward for the Clips:

https://twitter.com/Farbod_E/status/1849304983319306441

https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1849302557639717151

https://twitter.com/joeylinn_/status/1849322505913434210

https://twitter.com/BenGolliver/status/1849325612772872196

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=104105]

 

2024-25 Los Angeles Clippers: A quick preview

While many have focused on the departures of Paul George and Russell Westbrook, the Clippers have quietly added key defensive pieces in Derrick Jones Jr., Nicolas Batum, and Kris Dunn. These additions, while not as flashy, could make the team better …

While many have focused on the departures of Paul George and Russell Westbrook, the Clippers have quietly added key defensive pieces in Derrick Jones Jr., Nicolas Batum, and Kris Dunn. These additions, while not as flashy, could make the team better overall, as they focus on balance and fit rather than pure talent.

With Kawhi Leonard and James Harden anchoring the offense, the Clippers still have two elite scoring options. What’s different now is that they’ll be surrounded by versatile, defense-minded role players who complement their skill sets. The team may be less star-studded than last year, but the pieces could fit better, particularly under head coach Tyronn Lue’s nine-man rotation system, which emphasizes staggering stars and maximizing player roles.

Leonard and Harden will continue to lead the way, but with players like Jones stepping into a starting role and Dunn filling the backup point guard position, the Clippers have a deeper, more defensively sound team. Additionally, the team’s flexibility with Harden’s two-year deal ensures they remain competitive now while maintaining future cap room.