The Los Angeles Clippers secured a close win in their recent contest against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. After the game, Shaquille O’Neal, Jamal Crawford, Adam Lefkoe, and TNT guest, Baron Davis, sat down to analyze the game on Inside the NBA.
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Before anyone could get a word in, Shaquille O’Neal had to remind Lefkoe of the wager they had on the game. While the latter had his money on favorites ‘Denver’, Shaq decided to go against the Nuggets, betting on the Clippers. Shaq’s unconventional bet did pay off, as the 4xNBA Champion had to remind his co-host[ Adam Lefkoe] to pay up,
“Don’t you have to apologize to me?.. You laughed at me…Pay me my money!”
From the looks of it, Lefkoe and Shaq had bet $20 on the game, something that had slipped Lefkoe’s mind. Shaq being a competitive person, made sure to remind his co-host that it was time to pay up. However, Lefkoe decided to postpone the payment till the end of the segment because Shaq didn’t use Cash App.
With business out the way, it was time for the NBA analysts to provide some insight into the game. Giving props to the Clippers, Shaquille O’Neal pointed to James Harden’s efforts on the night as being a major factor for the Clippers’ win. The big man also reminded Harden and Russell Westbrook that their job on the team is to collapse defences and kick the ball out, as the Clippers have perimeter shooting to support their guards.
Talking about the mentality that Harden and Westbrook should adopt, O’Neal further added, “A lot of times when you play on teams with superstars you want to be unselfish. You have to be selfish, unselfishly.”
James Harden did show up during the game. The veteran guard had an impressive stat line, posting 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists in 38 minutes of play. That being said, he did rack-up a lot of shots, shooting 6-23 [ field goals] for the night, going 2-13 from distance. Regardless of the numbers, Harden did a good job in leading the Clippers past Denver, doing so without their superstar player, Kawhi Leonard.
Last night’s match-up was crucial for the Clippers
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard sat on the bench for the contest against the Nuggets. Leonard has been sidelined for the last two games with a knee injury/soreness. Recent reports do point to Leonard coming back soon, but his recent absence from the line-up has been more of a boon than a bane, as the Clippers have shown that they can win without the ‘Klaw’ consistently.
Last night’s match-up against Denver would help further this point. MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic still managed to maintain his stat line, posting 36 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists. Jokic’s valiant efforts didn’t mean much, as the remaining Denver squad seemed mostly absent in the low-scoring contest between the two teams.
After last night’s contest, the Clippers have improved their record to 48-28, as they hold onto the 4th spot in the Western Conference. From the looks of it, the Clips should secure a top-five seed in the Conference after the season concludes.
