Tag: Los Angeles Clippers

Lou Williams hilariously imitated Kawhi Leonard’s ‘Hey hey hey’ to Clippers fans

HA HA HA.

Kawhi Leonard saying “Hey hey hey” is the gift that keeps on giving.

A reminder: when the Los Angeles Clippers started the season against the Lakers, the star forward spoke to the Staples Center crowd to pump fans up, and he got everyone’s attention with a “Hey hey hey!” It immediately became a meme that’s still going today.

Since then, we’ve also seen Oklahome City Thunder rookie Darius Bazley imitate Leonard. And Leonard was totally fine with it, saying, “I just take it as love.”

And now we come to Sunday night, when Leonard’s teammate Lou Williams wished the crowd a happy Thanksgiving. Guess how he got their attention?

There’s only one correct response to that:

Too bad Leonard wasn’t actually paying attention to Williams, who said he was “just having some fun”:

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Pelicans vs. Clippers Recap: The good, the bad and the Ball

On the second night of a back-to-back, the Los Angeles Clippers routed the New Orleans Pelicans in Staples Center on Sunday evening, leading throughout and winning comfortably, 134-109.

On the second night of a back-to-back, the Los Angeles Clippers routed the New Orleans Pelicans in Staples Center on Sunday evening, leading throughout and winning comfortably, 134-109.

The Good: E’Twaun Moore

There wasn’t much positive about tonight’s game for the Pelicans but Moore had one of his best performances of the year. He knocked down three three-pointers in the second quarter to try to keep the game close and finished with 17 points in the loss.

Of the five players off New Orleans’ bench on the night, Moore was the only way with a plus-minus better than negative-20. Moore finished the night a negative-8. His play is needed with the injuries on the wing and could further crowd things once the team is back to full health.

Honorable Mentions: Low turnover total, Postive plus-minus totals from Jaxson Hayes, JJ Redick

The Bad: Defense

After giving up 128 points to Utah on Saturday, the Pelicans gave up 134 points to the Clippers. It was a pretty putrid display across the board for the Pelicans as Los Angeles raced out to an early lead and was barely threatened by New Orleans in the second half.

New Orleans badly needs to get home and reset before Wednesday’s game against the Lakers in Anthony Davis’ return.

Honorable Mentions: The bench’s production, the defense on Montrezl Harrell

The Ball: Coming back down to Earth

After a strong night in Utah, Lonzo Ball came back down to Earth on Sunday. He finished with a stat line of nine points on 4-of-13 shooting overall and 1-of-7 three-point shooting with five assists, four rebounds and a steal with two turnovers.

Ball was one of four Pelican bench players who finished with a plus-minus under negative-20, finishing a game-worst negative-27 in the loss. Ball’s struggles were emblematic of the team’s struggles on the night in an all-around terrible game for New Orleans.

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Memphis sending NBA a message that they won’t buyout Andre Iguodala

The Memphis Grizzlies have one of the most intriguing pieces for a contender, but getting him there isn’t going to happen via a buyout.

Nobody would blame the Los Angeles Lakers if they weren’t too worried about adding to their team as they currently sit atop the National Basketball Association with a 14-2 record, riding their second seven-game winning streak of the young season. But being that they are trying to a win a championship, finding some more talent would be prudent. But if that talent is exiled Memphis Grizzlies forward Andre Iguodala, the evidence is mounting that would have to happen via trade.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski recently discussed the message the Grizzlies have been sending the Lakers and the rest of the NBA that they will need to trade for Iguodala if they want add him to the team.

Transcribed by Christian Rivas at Silver Screen and Roll:

“He’s still a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, and the message that Memphis has been delivering to the entire league, to teams who would love to get him, especially for the postseason. The Clippers, the Lakers, the Houston Rockets, you’re going to have to trade for him. We are not buying him out. He is not going to be on the free agent market. And I think the date of Dec. 15 will be an important day for Andre Iguodala. That is when the summer’s free agents, almost 40% of the players in the league are eligible to be traded. Now you can get more creative with deals. At 35 years old he is fine sitting right now, taking a look at what the marketplace is going to look like, preserving his body, but Iguodala is a player, who Memphis is telling people ‘you’re not going to get him in a contract buyout.’”

This latest update is just the latest in a steady stream of reports about Memphis not wanting to just give Iguodala away to a would-be contender. If they want him for a playoff run this season, it will cost a team an asset to get him. If it wasn’t clear enough before, it should be clearer now: the 2015 Finals MVP won’t be a gift for the league at the cost of the Grizzlies long-term plans.

New Orleans Pelicans at Los Angeles Clippers odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s New Orleans Pelicans at Los Angeles Clippers sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets.

The New Orleans Pelicans (6-10) visit the Los Angeles Clippers (11-5) Sunday at Staples Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET. We analyze the Pelicans-Clippers odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Pelicans at Clippers: Key injuries

Pelicans

  • PF Derrick Favors (back) out
  • SF Josh Hart (ankle, knee) questionable
  • C Jahlil Okafor (ankle) questionable
  • PF Zion Williamson (knee) out

Clippers

  • SG Landry Shamet (ankle) out

Pelicans at Clippers: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated 2:45 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Clippers 130, Pelicans 108

Moneyline (ML)

The Pelicans (+625) were without all of the above players Saturday against the Utah Jazz and it resulted in a 128-120 loss. The Clippers (-1000) last played Friday when their 122-119 home win over the Houston Rockets extended their streak to four straight victories.

The Clippers are 10-1 on their home court while the Pelicans are 2-6 on the road. L.A. outscores the opposition by an average of 113.0-107.2. New Orleans is outscored by an average of 3.2 points per game (119.6-116.4). The home side wins this handily but it’s far too chalky with a $10 bet returning a profit of just $1.

Against the Spread (ATS)

The Clippers enter the day at 8-8 overall ATS but 7-4 at home. The Pelicans are also 8-8 overall but 3-5 on the road. Los Angeles covers the spread by an average of 1.8 points per game while New Orleans falls an average of 0.3 points per game short of the projections.

Los Angeles has won by 12 or more three times this season, including a 150-101 thrashing of Atlanta last Saturday. Two of New Orleans’ last four losses were by margins of at least 12 points. Back the CLIPPERS (-13.5, -106) with the points against a tired and injury-riddled road opponent.

Over/Under (O/U)

Take the OVER 230.5 (-129). The Pelicans gave up at least 120 points in each of their last two road games and the defense will be even weaker on the second half of the back-to-back. The Clippers average 113 points per game, and they dropped 122 Friday night.

New Orleans is 9-7 against the projected totals and covers the number by an average of 4.3 points per game. Los Angeles falls an average of 4.9 points below the projections but it will be able to handle the bulk of the scoring against the Pelicans’ defense.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Esten’s NBA betting record: 40-41

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Harden’s 37 not enough as Rockets blow late lead at Clippers

James Harden had 37 points and 12 assists, but the Clippers went on a 10-2 run in Friday’s final minute to beat the Rockets, 122-119.

The Houston Rockets led by five points with under a minute remaining Friday night in Los Angeles, but the Clippers closed the game on a 10-2 run in the final minute to win a thriller, 122-119 (box score).

James Harden led the way for the Rockets with a game-high 37 points and 12 assists, but for a second consecutive game was limited to just 16 shot attempts. Sharpshooters Danuel House Jr. and Eric Gordon were out due to injury, and the Clippers routinely double-teamed Harden in an effort to make other Rockets beat them.

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Ultimately, the strategy paid off. Harden made 9-of-16 shots (56.3%) overall and 5-of-11 (45.5%) on three-pointers, but his teammates connected on just 10-of-32 (31.3%) from three-point range — despite numerous open looks off the Harden double-teams.

The Rockets (11-5) have now lost two consecutive games after their eight-game winning streak, with committed defensive efforts from the Nuggets and Clippers successfully forcing the ball out of Harden’s hands at critical moments of both games.

The Clippers were led in Friday’s victory by 26 points from former Rockets guard Lou Williams, with all coming in the second half. Those points included a crucial go-ahead three-pointer in the game’s final minute.

Russell Westbrook scored 22 points and Clint Capela had 17 points and 19 rebounds, but both had crucial miscues in the closing seconds. With Houston in possession of the ball with about 45 seconds left and leading by two points, Capela fumbled a pass from Westbrook that otherwise would likely have led to a dunk. Westbrook then didn’t get back in transition, and Williams hit his trey off a five-on-four sequence.

Westbrook also missed an open three-pointer of his own in the final 10 seconds, with the Rockets trailing by one. He made just one of his seven shots (14.3%) from behind the arc on Friday, and is now hovering at approximately 22% on the season.

Over his 12-year NBA career, Westbrook has shot 30.6% from three-point range. That’s below average, but it’s usually enough to keep defenders somewhat honest and not constantly helping off of him.

At current levels, though, quality defenses appear as if they’re daring Westbrook to beat them. Until he does, that’s likely to continue — and especially with Harden scoring at a historic pace.

The Rockets’ run of strong opponents continues Sunday, when Luka Doncic and the upstart Dallas Mavericks (10-5) visit Toyota Center. It’s an early afternoon tip-off at 2:30 p.m. local time in Houston.

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Paul George praises value of Russell Westbrook as a teammate

Paul George, who played with Russell Westbrook for two years, isn’t surprised that Westbrook’s partnership with James Harden is succeeding.

Friday’s matchup between the Rockets and Clippers in Los Angeles will be the first time that former Thunder teammates Russell Westbrook and Paul George have played against one another since their offseason departures from Oklahoma City.

Though the Clippers and Rockets faced off last week in Houston and also in Hawaii during the preseason, George did not play in either game as he continued his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery.

When asked at Friday’s pregame shootaround about Westbrook’s new All-Star partnership in Houston with James Harden, George said he had no doubt the pairing would be successful.

His comments, via ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk:

I knew it was going to work. Russ is a winner. Russ wants to win, Russ does whatever it takes to win. My time playing with him, Russ doesn’t really have an ego. He puts his ego to the side.

He allowed me to be myself, he allowed me to be comfortable. And I had one of the best career [years] I had while playing alongside him. Russ is a heck of a teammate.

George makes a great point in the analogy to his own situation with Westbrook in Oklahoma City last season.

From the 2017-18 season to 2018-19, George took on a much larger role in the Thunder offense. His average shot attempts per game rose from 17 to 21, while his scoring and assists had corresponding jumps from 21.9 and 3.3 in 2017-18 to career-highs of 28.0 and 4.1 last year.

By contrast, Westbrook had fewer shot attempts and points, but had no complaints over his reduced usage — even though he was less than two years removed from being named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player (MVP).

It’s a similar story this year in Houston, where Westbrook’s average points and shot attempts are down slightly from a year ago. Harden leads the entire NBA with 38.4 points per game, and he’s clearly the top option for Mike D’Antoni. But Westbrook again doesn’t seem to mind, especially since the Rockets (11-4) are winning games at a high rate.

Back in July, George leveraged his way out of Oklahoma City and onto the Clippers, where he formed a new All-Star duo with reigning NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard. Both are Southern California natives, as well.

The George trade also cleared the way for Westbrook’s move to Houston, which occurred less than a week later.

But in the immediate aftermath of the offseason blockbuster, George made it clear that his exit from the Thunder had nothing to do with his feelings for Westbrook.

Friday’s nationally televised game on ESPN between Westbrook’s Rockets and George’s Clippers tips off at 9:30 p.m. Central time.

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Clint Capela continues to make history with rebounding streak

Houston Rockets center Clint Capela is currently the first NBA player in over 15 seasons to grab 20+ rebounds in five consecutive games.

Friday’s nationally televised game between the Rockets and Clippers in Los Angeles is a showdown of stars, with perennial Most Valuable Player (MVP) candidates James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George capturing the most attention.

But don’t forget about Houston center Clint Capela.

The 25-year-old has a chance to make history Friday by becoming the first NBA player in nearly 25 years to grab 20 or more rebounds in six consecutive games. The last player to do that was Dennis Rodman, who had a seven-game streak beginning in February 1995.

Capela’s current streak of five games with 20+ rebounds is tied for the third-longest of any player since the 1983-84 season, which is the furthest back the NBA.com database goes. The last player to do that was Ben Wallace, who did so back in March 2003.

Within the Rockets franchise, he’s the first player with five straight 20+ rebound games since Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes in the 1970-71 season.

On Twitter and in interviews, the mild-mannered Capela is remaining humble through his historic run.

“I focus on defense, make stops,” Capela told the Houston Chronicle‘s Jonathan Feigen. “I feel when I put my energy on that part, it’s better for us. This is my main focus.”

It’s been a remarkable turnaround for Capela, who through six games was averaging just 8.0 rebounds in 26.3 minutes per game. Not coincidentally, the Rockets were a disappointing 3-3 in that stretch. In a pair of weekend losses on Nov. 1 and Nov. 3 at Brooklyn and Miami, head coach Mike D’Antoni played Capela less than 43 minutes combined. 

We also learned shortly after that stretch that Capela suffered an offseason shoulder injury with the Switzerland men’s basketball national team, which may have contributed to his slow start.

Since then, though, the Rockets (11-4) have won eight of nine games — and Capela has gone from 8.0 rebounds in 26.3 minutes to averages of 18.6 rebounds in 34.9 minutes per game. He’s also become a better shot blocker, with his blocks rising from 1.7 in the first six games to 2.6 per game over his last seven (he missed two games with a head injury).

In those first six games, the Rockets as a team ranked No. 21 in the league in total rebounds (44.0). In the nine games since, Houston has surged to 49.2 rebounds per game, which ranks third in the league and has corresponded with the uptick in their win-loss record.

As for the Clippers (10-5), they enter Friday’s game on a three-game winning streak, and they’re likely to also be out for revenge after last week’s loss in Houston. For the Rockets to compete on the road with a perceived Western Conference contender, they’ll probably need Capela to win his matchups versus Los Angeles big man such as Ivica Zubac, JaMychal Green, and Montrezl Harrell.

Then again, Capela has won the vast majority of his personal matchups over this current run — and he’s got a shot at modern history with another 20-rebound performance. That should give him ample motivation to keep the streak going.

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Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Clippers odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Friday’s Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Clippers sports betting odds and lines, with NBA picks, tips and best bets.

The Houston Rockets (11-4) face the Los Angeles Clippers (10-5) Friday night with tip-off coming just after 10:30 pm ET at Staples Center. We analyze the Rockets-Clippers odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Rockets at Clippers: Key injuries

Rockets:

  • C Tyson Chandler (rest) probable

Clippers:

  • SG Landry Shamet (ankle) out

Rockets at Clippers: Odds, lines, picks, and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 8:15 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Clippers 120, Rockets 114

Moneyline (ML)

The Rockets are 11-4 on the moneyline while Los Angeles is 10-5. James Harden and Russell Westbrook clash with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard in a star-studded matchup.

Our pick is with the CLIPPERS (-200) but very, very close.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Los Angeles returns a profit of $5.00.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Neither team has covered spreads well this year. Los Angeles is 8-7 overall against the spread while Houston is just 7-8. Houston on the road is a slightly worse 3-5 while Los Angeles is 7-3 at home and exceeds projections by 5.3 points per contest.

This makes the choice easy. Back LOS ANGELES (-4.5, -115). The Clippers could come close to or exceed 120 in this tilt and Los Angeles only needs to win by five or more points.

Over/Under (O/U)

The projected total is set at 226.5. It seems like a low number given both teams’ propensity to score. Houston averages a ton of points while Los Angeles can top 120 routinely. It will be dicey but the -115 for the OVER is a manageable number.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @ChrisWasselDFS and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Danuel House Jr. could miss time for Rockets with shoulder injury

Houston forward Danuel House Jr. (shoulder injury) could miss Friday’s showdown between the Rockets and Clippers in Los Angeles.

The Houston Rockets might not have forward Danuel House Jr. available for Friday’s nationally televised game at the Los Angeles Clippers after the 26-year-old injured his left shoulder in Denver.

Houston Chronicle beat writer Jonathan Feigen initially reported Thursday afternoon that House was doubtful to play in Los Angeles. In postgame comments late Wednesday, head coach Mike D’Antoni had said House would be re-evaluated Thursday.

The Rockets would likely start Ben McLemore at small forward in House’s absence, just as they did last week when House missed three games with a bruised back. At 6-foot-3, McLemore is considerably smaller than the 6-foot-6 House and offers less defensive versatility.

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However, a later update from the team identified House as “questionable” rather than doubtful, which could offer more hope.

Feigen said D’Antoni referred to House as “doubtful” prior to Thursday’s practice in Los Angeles, but the subsequent upgrade in status could indicate that he responded well to treatment.

Either way, the native Houstonian appears to again have a short-term injury without too much long-term concern.

House’s latest issue occurred during Wednesday’s second half in Denver, when he ran into a screen set by 284-pound Nikola Jokic.

House flexed his arm for several minutes on Houston’s bench, hoping he would be able to return to the game. However, he eventually left the court, and the team announced that he would not return.

Over an hour later in the postgame locker room, reporters said House still appeared to be in considerable discomfort.

In 12 games this year, House is averaging 11.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in 28.9 minutes per game, and he’s been one of Houston’s top three-point shooters at 44.6%. His defensive rating of 104.0 is among the best of any player in the current Rockets rotation.

House’s potential absence could be critical against the Clippers, who are led by a pair of very long forwards in All-Stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. If available, House would likely cover one of those players, with the other going to P.J. Tucker.

The Rockets did defeat the Clippers last week in Houston, even with House out. However, George did not play in that game.

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LeBron James shares heartfelt message from mother on triple-double feat

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James recorded triple-doubles against all 30 teams and his mother sent him a sweet congratulatory message.

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During Tuesday night’s Los Angeles Lakers win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to record a triple-double against all 30 teams in the league.

Everyone from fans to coaches, teammates and rivals commented on the historic feat. Although LeBron himself won’t have the most triple-doubles of all-time or likely average one in a season, the feat speaks both to his incredible versatility and longevity. But none of the congratulations hit LeBron quite as much as the one he got from his No. 1 fan: his mother, Gloria James.

James shared a heartfelt text exchange with his mother on Instagram the day after the game.

LeBron and his mother have been in the public eye for nearly two decades, but still remain tightly bound even as James’ All-Time success matches, or even surpasses, the future many saw for him when he was just a high schooler from Akron.