Harden, Leonard Deliver in the Clutch, Clippers Secure Fifth Seed with OT Win in Golden State

All 30 NBA teams were in action on Sunday’s last day of the regular season, and the Los Angeles Clippers went on the road and won a pivotal game at Chase Center in double overtime against the Golden State Warriors to secure a spot in the top six and prevent a Play-In appearance. 

James Harden and Kawhi Leonard shone bright in the Clippers’ 124-119 overtime win, a crucial one as they head into the playoffs as the fifth seed and escape the Play-In Tournament. The Clippers (50-32) will meet the Denver Nuggets (50-32) in Round 1, while the Golden State Warriors (48-34, 7th seed) will face the Memphis Grizzlies (48-34, 8th seed) in Play-In action on Wednesday. 

Needing to show up in a major way for their team to have a chance, both Harden (37 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds, 13-23, 5-8, 8-9) and Leonard (33 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 13-20, 4-8, 3-5) hit big buckets down the stretch, playing big games befitting of their big names. Ivica Zubac, who ends the regular season with averages of 16.7 points and 12.6 rebounds, scored 22 points with 17 rebounds on 11-for-16, and Norman Powell and Kris Dunn each scored 11 points. Dunn was particularly impressive as the guard, not known for his offensive capabilities, went 4-for-4 from the field and made all three of his long range attempts. 

Stephen Curry showed up for his squad, scoring 36 points with 6 assists while going 10-for-20 from the field, 7-for-12 from deep and 9-for-9 from the line. Jimmy Butler, no stranger to pressure situations, added 30 points and 9 assists on 12-for-20 and 6-for-9 from the line. Late in the game, he was inadvertently hit in the thigh on a Leonard drive. Brandon Podziemski posted 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists on 7-for-11 shooting. Draymond Green was 5-for-9 (4-for-6 from downtown) with 14 points, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. 

The Clippers, who finished the regular season with a 30-11 home record, having won eight games in a row. On Tuesday, March 4 after a 119-117 loss to the Phoenix Suns, the team was 32-29, but went on a tear the rest of the way, going 18-3. 

Their matchup with the Nuggets is a tantalizing one, the Clippers boasting defense in the forms of Leonard, Dunn, and Norman Powell, while Ben Simmons has the versatility to guard all over the floor. No one is a match for Nikola Jokic, but the Clippers figure to have the advantage on the wing in the series. The keys obviously are Harden and Leonard, who will have to perform to a certain level. Knowing Leonard, if he is healthy, he will. 

The Warriors, meanwhile, matchup with the Grizzlies, a team that mysteriously fired their head coach with nine games remaining in the season. The Grizzlies are just 4-6 in their last 10 games, while the Warriors won seven of their last 10 regular season games. After a loss on Thursday, February 6 to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Warriors were 25-26. The acquisition of Butler gave them a new dimension, someone that can do so many things on the floor and also take pressure off of Stephen Curry to make winning plays. Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. will need to play at a high level for the Grizzlies to have a shot. 

Around the League 

In the other match-ups in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers will face the Minnesota Timberwolves. As good as Anthony Edwards is and as quality as the ‘Wolves wing defense is and with Rudy Gobert down low, the Lakers have the clear overall talent advantage with Luka Doncic and LeBron James. That will be a fascinating, competitive series but look for the Lakers to get the edge. 

In the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks face the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers battle their division rival the Milwaukee Bucks. The experience advantage is in the Knicks’ favor, but do not discount Cade Cunningham, who has blossomed into a star who is bordering on superstardom. He vs. Jalen Brunson is a terrific match-up. As far as complementary players go, the Knicks with Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, have the better supporting cast. But the Pistons’ ignorance in being a first time playoff team, and the atmosphere that will be Little Caesars Arena, make this series a must-see. 

The Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic will do battle in one Eastern Conference Play-In game, at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, while the Miami Heat visit the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday followed by the Dallas Mavericks at Sacramento Kings. 

The Magic finished the season 7-3 in their last 10 games, and with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, possess a very potent offensive tandem, while Trae Young is the guy that makes the Hawks go. If Trae Young can capture some of what he did in the 2021 playoffs in leading the Hawks to the Conference Finals, the Hawks could win and advance into the playoff round. They won three consecutive games to end the regular season. 

The Heat (37-45) struggled mightily over the last eight weeks, losing four in a row and then 10 in a row in separate stretches. They did win six in a row from March 23-April 2, but were 2-4 in their last six. They figure to have the forward-center advantage against the Chicago Bulls (39-43) with Bam Adebayo and rookie Kel’el Ware against Matas Buzelis and Nikola Vucevic, but slowing the wing offense of the Bulls of Coby White and Josh Giddey will be a task. 

The final Play-In game is the Dallas Mavericks (39-43) visiting the Sacramento Kings (40-42). The Kings ended the season 5-5, the Mavericks 4-6. The bashing of Maverick GM Nico Harrison over trading Luka Doncic has been discussed ad-nauseum, but now is where the Mavericks need to show out. Anthony Davis is capable of being the best player on the floor against any opponent, and will need to be that for the Mavericks. His match-up against Domantas Sabonis will be grueling. Klay Thompson will need to bring some semblance of vintage Klay. Max Christie and Naji Marshall off the bench are guys who get after it on both ends and can score, while Spencer Dinwiddie is a more than capable scoring guard. Davis, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively give the Mavericks an interior advantage, whereas the Kings’ Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan are two wings that can swing the balance of the matchup. Keegan Murray stretches the floor and is a knock-down shooter. 

From the Play-In to what we know the first round match-ups will be so far, there is plenty to look forward to over the next week and beyond in the NBA.