The level of talent in the NBA is higher than it’s ever been. In the past, good teams could afford to overlook bad ones, but nowadays, even teams without any real playoff hopes can pull an upset, especially if the favorite is missing an important piece or two. That’s what happened last night as the 18-25 Chicago Bulls went on the road and beat the 24-17 Los Angeles Clippers by a score of 112-99.
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James Harden had a double-double in the loss with 17 points and 10 assists, but it was far from his best game, as he shot just 5-17 and had five turnovers. He also finished the game with a grisly plus/minus of -31.
Harden was asked after the game about the Clippers’ upcoming game against the defending champion Boston Celtics on Wednesday, but he was in no mood to look ahead, saying,
“I’m not looking toward nobody. We just got whooped at home by the Bulls.”
Harden’s response is perfect, because it finds a way to insult everybody. Definitely the Bulls, who caught some shade for being a team that’s embarrassing to lose to at home. Also the Clippers themselves for not just losing, but getting whooped, which is just a wonderfully evocative word to use. And finally the Celtics, who apparently don’t merit any thought two days ahead of a big matchup. We’ll see what Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown think of that when they get to the Intuit Dome.
Losing to the Bulls at home when you’re a Western Conference contender is a rough look, but it’s more understandable than it appears at first glance. This was the second game of a back-to-back, and the Clips were without a couple of key players.
Despite the loss, it’s not the end of the world for the Clips, as they had previously won four straight games to move into fifth place in the West.
The Clippers proved that they are much more dangerous at full strength
Both Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac were out for this one, leaving Harden and Norman Powell to shoulder a heavier load. Leonard recently made his season debut, but still isn’t playing back-to-backs as he works his way back into shape, while Zubac was dealing with an eye injury that he suffered against the Lakers on Sunday.
Leonard is a two-time Finals MVP and future Hall-of-Famer, so although Ty Lue’s team has gotten used to being without him the past couple of years, there’s no doubt that they’re better with him on the court. As for Zubac, he’s having easily the best season of his career, and he was coming off of a 21-point, 19-rebound against the Lakers and Anthony Davis the night before.
The Clippers have gotten much more out of Zubac and Powell than anyone could have expected this year, but Monday night’s loss demonstrated that to be serious contenders, they’ll need to be at full strength when it matters most.
