Yet they beat a really talented Celtics squad, thanks in part to Patrick Beverley, who played lock-down D, snagged a team-high 16 rebounds, hit four from deep and gave us one Oscar-worthy flop:
No wonder Doc Rivers deemed it, per USA TODAY Sports, “an ugly win, but it was beautiful.”
The takeaway should be that once George and Leonard figure out how to truly play together — and there’s SO much time for that — this team is going to be so annoying to play. The starting five (Leonard, George, Beverley, Mo Harkless and Ivica Zubac) is a nightmarish mix of lengthy defender, and then you have to worry about Lou Williams coming off the bench. By the time April rolls around, George and Leonard will figure out how to communicate on the defensive end, find their spots on the offensive end and rest enough to be fresh for the postseason.
Once they get it right and get healthy, it’s all over for the rest of the league.
The Clippers were at full strength with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on the court, and took in the Celtics in a game that went to overtime. See all the highlights.
It’s fun when a hyped-up game comes out and exceeds expectations.
The Boston Celtics traveled to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers on Wednesday night, who finally had their full-look roster with Paul George returning from injury and Kawhi Leonard on the court.
The Clippers looked good. The Celtics also looked good! It went to overtime, a deserved result as for the entire game it felt like neither team could pull away. This wasn’t a game of big runs. They just traded baskets and stops all night.
The game went to overtime after Jayson Tatum went and broke George’s ankles and drained a huge three to tie the game late, but the Clippers went on a nice run in OT and were able to hang on and win 107-104, thanks in part to a fantastic last-second block from Leonard.
It was a bit of a wonky game because it’s clear that George and Leonard are still figuring things out. It’s wild to say that, considering George finished with 25-5-8 and Leonard finished with 17-6-3, but Leonard especially was a little more deferential than we usually see him. It was also a bit wonky in that the Celtics’ Kemba Walker had an uncharacteristic off night, finishing with 13 points on 4 of 17 shooting.
Tatum had 30 though, and backup point guard Brad Wanamaker came hot off the bench and got 14 points.
Potential finals matchup? Maybe. Sure. We’d do that.
Kawhi Leonard didn’t seem all that impressed by Kawhi Leonard.
The Los Angeles Clippers and Boston Celtics played a great November NBA game Wednesday night that was ultimately won in overtime by the Clippers, 107-104, who were playing with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the lineup together for the first time this season.
The Clippers stormed back in the final minutes of regulation to take the lead but a 3-pointer by Jayson Tatum tied things up and then a missed 3-pointer by Leonard at the buzzer sent the game to overtime.
The Celtics had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer in OT but Leonard flew through the air to block Kemba Walker’s 3-point attempt:
Tonight for the first time this season Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will suit up and play together. This is what fans have been waiting for and should be an entertaining game, to say the least. The Celtics have been cruising along this year and will be a tough test for them on the road.
Watch the Los Angeles Clippers 2019-20 Season
Next game: vs. Boston Celtics, Nov. 20, 10:00 p.m. ET
Local TV affiliate: Fox Sports West
Streaming option for the season: fuboTV (watch for free)
The Clippers may have landed the best player in the NBA when acquiring Leonard during the offseason. As the reigning Finals MVP, Leonard’s combination of defensive ability and scoring acumen has him consistently talked about as the best all-around player in the league. Combined with the newly acquired Paul George, the Clippers have two stars that can potentially carry them to the promised land.
But the NBA is about depth as much as it is about star power, and the Clippers have that as well. Defending sixth man of the year Lou Williams is still available to give second units around the league nightmares, while players like Montrezl Harrell should see easier opportunities now that defenses have to focus on Leonard and George. Whether this group can get on the same page in time for a postseason run remains to be seen, but this unit could be the most exciting in the history of the Clippers.
Clippers November 2019 Schedule
All Times ET
Mon. Nov. 18 vs. Thunder, 10:30 PM
Wed. Nov. 20 vs. Celtics, 10:00 PM
Fri. Nov. 22 vs. Rockets, 10:30 PM
Sun. Nov 24 vs. Pelicans, 9:00 PM
Tues. Nov. 26 @ Mavericks, 8:30 PM
Wed. Nov. 27 @ Grizzlies, 8:00 PM
Fri. Nov. 29 @ Spurs, 8:30 PM
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Previewing Wednesday’s Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Clippers sports betting odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis, picks and tips.
The Boston Celtics (11-2) and Los Angeles Clippers (9-5) do battle at Staples Center at 10 p.m. ET Wednesday night. We analyze the Celtics-Clippers odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
Special BetMGM New Jersey Betting Prop! Bet $1, WIN $100 in free bets if either the L.A. Clippers or Boston Celtics hits a 3-pointer Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019. BET NOW!
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Celtics at Clippers: Key injuries
Celtics: PG Marcus Smart (ankle) is on the injury report, but he is expected to play. SF Gordon Hayward (hand) remains out until late December.
Clippers: SF Kawhi Leonard (knee) is considered questionable, while PG Landry Shamet (ankle) is out indefinitely.
Celtics 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 10:30 a.m. ET.
As long as Leonard is able to play in this game, I fully expect the Clippers (-238) to win this game. SF Paul George is back and doing the things the team expected him to do when he was added via trade in the offseason. The Celtics (+195) are a great play if Kawhi sits, although the number is likely to change dramatically if he is officially ruled out.
New to sports betting? Every $1 wagered on a Clippers win profits $0.42 if they win outright. (Ex: Bet $10 to win $4.20, $20 to win $8.40)
Roll with the CLIPPERS (-6.5, +100), again, as long as Kawhi is officially able to play.
The Celtics (+6.5, -120) are just 1-6 against the spread in the past seven meetings in this series. In addition, the C’s are just 1-5 ATS in the past six games against teams with a winning percentage over .600. L.A. has cashed in six of the past seven overall, and it’s 5-2 ATS in the past seven against clubs with a winning percentage over .600.
The OVER 218.5 (-105) once again hinges on Kawhi’s health. The over is 4-0-1 in the past five meetings in this series. The over is 3-0-1 in Boston’s past four against teams with a winning overall mark, and the over is 13-5 for L.A. in the past 18 home games against a team with a winning road record.
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After Monday’s game, Rivers credited Chris Paul and his ‘Lob City’ teammates with helping to ‘restart’ the Clippers franchise.
With all the talk surrounding Paul George facing his former team in the Oklahoma City Thunder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari returning to Los Angeles, it got almost got lost that Chris Paul was going up against his former franchise too.
And Paul showed out. He led the Thunder with 22 points hitting a pair of free throws with 31.5 seconds remaining that nearly gave Oklahoma City the win.
Paul spent six years with the Clippers between 2011 and 2017. The ‘Lob City’ era as it was known, didn’t bring home an NBA Championship, but it did produce “five straight seasons of 50 or more wins, including a franchise-record 57 wins during the 2013-2014 season”, as noted by Clutch Points.
Doc Rivers was Paul’s coach then. He’s still the Clippers coach now. And on Monday night, he gave CP3, along with his teammates during the Lob City era, credit for building the foundation upon which the team is now built.
“It was great,” replied Rivers on Paul’s time in L.A. “Obviously … None of us won a title, but him, Blake, DJ started this franchise in a lot of ways. Or restarted it. They started a tradition of winning. The next step is being THE winner, but there shouldn’t be a negative at all in that.”
Doc Rivers on how Chris Paul’s time with the #Clippers should be remembered – “None of us won a title, but him, Blake, DJ restarted this franchise. They started a tradition of winning here.” pic.twitter.com/1UNsoOfBrP
According to Tomer Azarly, Paul’s memories weren’t quite as rose-colored. But Paul still has good things to say about the years he spent in L.A.
“Oh, that’s a long, long, long, long story, you know what I mean,” Paul said with a smile. “But it was a good time. I stay in contact with them guys. Everybody’s on different paths now, but it was a fun time.”
Chris Paul on how he looks back at his Clippers tenure – “That’s a long, long, long story, but it was a good time. I stay in contact with them guys. Everybody’s on different paths now, but it was a good time.”#Thunderpic.twitter.com/WMt1YmPFGr
Paul and the Thunder will face the Clippers three more times during the regular season, the next game coming on Sunday, Dec. 22, and it will be broadcast on NBATV.
Each week, HoopsHype’s staff gives their Top 10 candidates for this season’s Most Valuable Player award. Check out this week’s rankings.
Each week, HoopsHype’s staff gives our Top 10 candidates for this year’s Most Valuable Player award. This list highlights stars who are in the mix for the 2019-20 MVP award due to their impressive play.
Which stars have stood out? Here are our latest MVP rankings:
Siakam is making the Raptors look smart for giving him that four-year, $130 million extension. This is Siakam’s first appearance in our Top 10, but he’s been playing well all season. Even if he doesn’t receive significant MVP love this year because there are so many great candidates, it’s possible that he could become the first player in NBA history to win the Most Improved Player award twice. One could make the argument that his growth over the last year (+8.8 ppg, +1.7 rpg, +1.1 apg) is just as impressive as his sophomore-to-junior leap (+9.6 ppg, +2.4 rpg, +1.1 apg). Regardless of whether he wins MIP for a second-straight year, he’s made huge strides this season. Becoming a team’s No. 1 option and a 25-point-per-game scorer is extremely hard, but Siakam has made it look easy. The 25-year-old has essentially filled the Kawhi Leonard role in this offense and it’s been amazing to watch his development in recent years. He has the Raptors sitting at 9-4, which is the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference.
Leonard dropped down our list over the last week because he’s missed three-straight games due to a left-knee contusion that he suffered in the Clippers’ loss to the Houston Rockets last Wednesday. Leonard has been terrific on both ends of the floor when he’s suited up, but he’s now missed five of a possible 14 games this season. As we wrote in this space last week, voters tend to reward players who haven’t missed significant time when considering Most Valuable Player. The last 15 MVP winners have missed an average of 3.93 games in the season in which they won the award (with no individual missing more than 10 games). The Clippers are likely going to be cautious with Leonard moving forward to ensure that he’ll be at 100 percent for their playoff run (like the Toronto Raptors’ approach that worked so well last year). Also, when two MVP candidates have teamed up in the past (like Kevin Durant and Steph Curry on the Golden State Warriors), voters weren’t sure what to do and they basically canceled each other out. It’s possible that could happen with Leonard and 2018-19 MVP finalist Paul George, who returned recently.
The big news in the NBA over the last week was the Trail Blazers’ decision to sign free agent Carmelo Anthony. After sustaining numerous injuries and getting off to a slow start (5-9, which is the third-worst record in the Western Conference), Portland is hoping that Anthony can help revitalize this team. Last time Anthony was in the NBA, he averaged 13.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 threes while shooting 40.5 percent from the field and 32.8 percent from three-point range in 10 games with the Houston Rockets. It remains to be seen how much this addition will impact Lillard and CJ McCollum, who are Portland’s top options on offense. Lillard is averaging career-highs across the board, but he’s received little help from his supporting cast, which is why the Blazers are struggling so much.
Not only has Towns been filling the stat sheet, he’s been extraordinarily efficient in the process. He’s shooting 51.2 percent from the field on 17.9 field goal attempts and he’s making 43.5 percent of his threes on 9.0 attempts. Only James Harden (4.9) is making more threes per game than Towns (3.9), and the big man’s three-point percentage is 6.5 percentage points higher than Harden’s. Also, Towns currently ranks fourth in Box Plus/Minus (+10.1), fourth in PER (30.4) and fifth in Value Over Replacement Player (1.2). With Towns making his presence felt all over the court and Andrew Wiggins playing the best basketball of his career, the Timberwolves are now 8-6 and holding the Western Conference’s eighth seed, putting them just 3.5 games back from the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers.
It didn’t take long for Davis and LeBron James long to develop chemistry, as they’ve been a terrific one-two punch for the Lakers thus far. As our Bryan Kalbroskynoted, James is passing the ball to Davis 25.2 times per 36 minutes, which is more than he dished to any other past teammate, including Dwyane Wade, Kyrie Irving, Chris Bosh and Kevin Love. It’s clear that James trusts his big man and if they’re playing this well with very little time spent getting acclimated to each other (and their many new teammates), it’ll be interesting to see how well they’ll be playing together toward the end of the season when they’ve learned each other’s tendencies more. Davis is leading the NBA in blocks per game and he’s swatted 24 shots in his last seven games.
Kyrie Irving who? When news broke over the summer that Irving (and Al Horford) planned to leave Boston via free agency, it seemed like the Celtics were going to take a significant step back. It would’ve been understandable if they shifted their focus to developing Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Co. Instead, the Celtics found a terrific replacement for Irving in Kemba Walker. The 29-year-old is posting impressive numbers and he has Boston sitting at No. 1 in the Eastern Conference standings with an 11-2 record (which is also tied for the best record in the entire NBA). It seems that Walker brings production similar to that of Irving without the behind-the-scenes drama and chemistry issues that hurt the Celtics last year. If Boston can keep this up and sit atop the East, Walker would get some MVP consideration (and deservedly so) and Brad Stevens would likely get some Coach of the Year love. And as Walker gets more comfortable with his new team, his play should only improve. With that said, there seems to be a significant gap between the Top-4 players on this list and everyone else.
Doncic is used to having unprecedented success for someone his age. Remember, he won the Euroleague MVP award at 19 years old prior to entering the NBA. Now, as a 20-year-old sophomore in the Association, his numbers aren’t too far off from what Russell Westbrook averaged back in 2016-17 when he won MVP (31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 10.4 assists and 1.6 steals). While posting triple-doubles no longer seems to draw the same jaw-dropping reaction since Westbrook normalized it, it’s unheard of for a 20-year-old to be having this kind of success. He had an MVP performance on Monday night, dropping 42 points, 12 assists, 11 rebounds and 5 threes in a win over the San Antonio Spurs. Only two players in NBA history have posted a 40-point triple-double at age-20: Doncic and LeBron James. The sophomore is having a special campaign, his Mavericks are fifth in the West at 8-5 and he deserves to be high on this list as long as he keeps this up.
If the season ended today, Harden’s 39.2 scoring average would be the highest since Wilt Chamberlain posted 44.8 points per game in the 1962-63 season. In fact, Harden is on pace to join Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to average 39 or more points in a season. (Michael Jordan came close in 1986-87, but he finished the campaign averaging 37.1 points). Harden’s shooting percentages aren’t pretty – 42.5 percent from the field and 34.0 percent from deep – but when Houston is winning and he’s averaging nearly 40 points and eight assists per game, it feels like nitpicking to complain about his efficiency. Also, it’s worth noting that his True Shooting Percentage (.618) is actually up from last season. The Rockets have won eight-straight games and are 11-3, which is the second-best record in the Western Conference (and the third-best record in the NBA). If Harden continues at this pace, this season will go down as one of the most impressive offensive displays in league history.
At this point, James has the “best player on the best team” argument going for him. He’s filling the stat sheet on a nightly basis and it’s translating into wins for the Lakers, who are an NBA-best 11-2 (with a league-best +10.2 average point differential) thus far. Can the Lakers sustain this level of play? That remains to be seen, but James will have a strong case as long as they do. If James were to win his fifth MVP award this season, he’d become the second-oldest MVP in NBA history behind only Karl Malone (who was named Most Valuable Player in his age-35 season). Malone was 35 years and 284 days old at the end of the 1998-99 regular season. James is also in his age-35 season, but he would only be 35 years and 107 days old at the end of this regular season. Whether he ultimately wins the honor or not, nobody can deny how impressive it is for James to be producing like this at 35 years old.
Antetokounmpo is having another incredible season and while it may not feel like past years because his cheat-code dominance is no longer fresh and surprising, at the end of the day, he’s the reigning MVP and he has somehow managed to improve his stats across the board. He’s averaging career-highs in points, rebounds, assists, field goal percentage, three-pointers made, three-point percentage, Player Efficiency Rating, Box Plus/Minus, Defensive Rating and the list goes on and on. The advance stats love him too, as he leads all NBA players in Box Plus/Minus, Value Over Replacement Player and PER. He’s led the Bucks to the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 10-3 (with an East-best +9.5 average point differential). He has the numbers, record and signature performances to potentially win back-to-back MVP awards. Also, he’s doing this without another star on his team, unlike LeBron James (who has Anthony Davis) and James Harden (who has Russell Westbrook). It remains to be seen if voters will take that into consideration, as they have in the past.
The former Oklahoma City star hit a go-ahead-three with 25 seconds remaining to lift the Clippers over the Thunder on Monday night.
Paul George once again came up big when his team needed him the most. Unfortunately for the Thunder, that team is no longer Oklahoma City.
The former Thunder center drilled a go-ahead three-pointer with 25 seconds left in the game to lift the Clippers to a 90-88 victory over OKC late Monday night.
As has been the theme all season, the Thunder was in this one at the end.
A pair of ex-Clippers, Danilo Gallinari and Chris Paul, put Oklahoma City ahead with under a minute to play. Gallinari first made a 3 with 52.5 seconds remaining to tie the game at 86, then Paul hit two free-throws at the 31.5 mark to make it 88-86 OKC.
CLUTCH ‼️ It's almost midnight in OKC. Who's watching this 1 point game with 25 seconds left in the 4th quarter? 👀 @FOXSportsOKpic.twitter.com/QeTaMAtwSX
Paul led the Thunder with 22 points. Three other players were in double-digits; Gallinari scored 14, Dennis Schroder came off the bench to add 12, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander chipped in 11.
.@CP3 leads all players with 16p, midway through Q3.
Oklahoma City doesn’t have any time to dwell on Monday’s loss. Their West Coast road trip continues Monday night as they return to the Staples Center on Tuesday to take on the Lakers.
The former Thunder forward talked about the end of his time in OKC ahead of Monday’s matchup between the Clippers and Oklahoma City.
While you can’t go home again, you can always visit.
For former Oklahoma City Thunder forward Patrick Patterson, “home” for his last two seasons will actually be “away”, as the team he played for prior to his new club, the Los Angeles Clippers, visits Staples Center Monday evening.
Enthusiastic to be in his new home after seeing his role with the Thunder diminish and then effectively dry up, Patterson doesn’t look back with ire at how his last opportunity ended.
As his playing time began to shrink, and recent arrival Markieff Morris’ grow while the team’s fortunes grew increasingly worse, it would be easy to be resentful. But the Washington (D.C.) native doesn’t blame Morris, or the organization for how his tenure with OKC turned out.
“I don’t think it was just one thing,” Patterson said of the Thunder’s end-of-season collapse, and his eventual ejection from the rotation, which saw him sitting 24 of the team’s final 29 games, according to The Oklahoman’s Joe Mussatto.
“Coaching staff, not everyone on the same page from the heads up top to the players on the bottom, added the Kentucky product. “Effort on the players’ part. Focus, playing together, playing good solid defense with communication. We missed a lot of shots. We didn’t capitalize on opportunities.”
Relishing his next opportunity to play along recent champion Kawhi Leonard and All-Star forward Paul George, Patterson is embracing playing for the Clippers this season. “Finding a role again, finding a group of guys who push and believe in me and challenge me,” he explained as key elements of his new situation that most appealed.
“Just being happy, having fun. I think all that contributes to a new, clean slate and that’s what I have here right now.”
Patterson looks forward to seeing his new teammates in Los Angeles, and plans to catch up with them before the game. Don’t expect him to give his former franchise a light touch come gametime, however.
“It’ll be all smiles until the ball is thrown up in the air and that clock starts,” offered Patterson on how he’ll be approaching the game.
If history is any judge, the Thunder should take him at his word.
Previewing Monday’s Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Clippers sports betting odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis, picks and tips.
The Oklahoma City Thunder (5-7) visit the Los Angeles Clippers (8-5) Monday at Staples Center for a 10:30 p.m. ET tip-off. Both teams are coming off wins in their last games. We analyze the Thunder-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.
Thunder at Clippers: Key injuries
Thunder
SG Hamidou Diallo (knee) day-to-day
SG Andre Roberson (knee) out
Clippers
PG Patrick Beverley (calf) questionable
SF Kawhi Leonard (knee) questionable
SG Landry Shamet (ankle) out
Thunder 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 11:30 a.m. ET.
The Clippers are laying -500 odds despite the potential absences of Leonard and Beverley. SF Paul George has scored 70 total points over his first two games in L.A. and is plenty capable of shouldering the load without his fellow stars.
Los Angeles is 7-1 straight up at home while OKC is still looking for its first road win in its fifth try. The Clippers have outscored the opposition 114.5-108.0 on average. The Thunder have a neutral point differential and play to an average scored of 107.1-107.1. Both teams were victorious their last time out, with the Clips beating the Atlanta Hawks 150-101 at home and the Thunder topping the Philadelphia 76ers 127-119 in overtime.
The home team will win this one whether or not Leonard and/or Beverley are active, but the -500 odds are far too chalky. Monitor this line as it will improve if the two players are ruled out, but the spread is the better play.
New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the Clippers to win would return a profit of $2.
Back the CLIPPERS to win by double digits and cover the spread of -8.5 with -129 odds. LA is 8-5 ATS and covers the number by an average of 3.2 points per game. OKC is 7-5 ATS and covers by an average of one point per game.
The Clippers are 7-1 ATS at home while the Thunder are just 2-2 on the road.
The Thunder are 5-7 against the O/U while the Clippers are 5-8. Both teams fail to reach the projected total by an average of more than three points per game. Take the OVER 222.5 (-115). Both teams are rested and George will continue his hot start against his former team. We’ll likely need just one of Leonard or Beverley to be active in order to top this number with ease.
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