So far, 2010 has turned out to be a great year for the Los Angeles Clippers. After opening the new decade with a nice win over the Portland Trailblazers, the Clippers kept their New Year record unblemished with a 102-91 upset victory over the NBA-leading Los Angeles Lakers.
When that big win is combined with reports of a possible Jan. 20 return for top pick Blake Griffin, the continued improvement in Baron Davis‘ play and a 3-game winning streak, things are again looking bright in Clipperland. Now excuse me while I knock on wood.
Okay, with that out of the way, let’s talk last night’s big win. Defeating their fellow Staples Center tenants is always a great joy for the team and Clipper Nation – given the grief Clips fans endure from most of the spoiled, bandwagon fans of the purple and gold – but it’s especially sweet when you break a 9-game losing streak and help lower their overall standing in the tightly contested spot for the league’s best record.
Baron Davis lead a strong Clippers attack to a 102-91 upset of the LA Lakers.
(Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
Baron Davis played his best game of the year, and possibly his short Clippers career, and finished with 25 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds. His spirited play and desire to win were obvious throughout the night, as he regularly pushed the ball up the court. His intensity was a key to the victory, most noticeably in a fourth quarter play that saw him lead the break, visibly encourage Eric Gordon to attack and then hit him with a great pass for a bucket and the foul. Gordon ended up with 18 points, Chris Kaman had 21 and 14 and Marcus Camby and Rasual Butler combined for 20 points, 18 rebounds and 8 assists at the forward spots.
The defense was swarming too, holding the Lakers to only 91 points and forcing Kobe Bryant into taking 30 shots for his 33 points. Aside from a third quarter outburst in which he scored 17 points, Kobe was mostly ineffective, missing 9 of his last 11 forced jumpers shots to close the game out and finishing 10-30.
Kobe Bryant gets his shot blocked in a loss against the Clippers. The miss was one of 20 misses by Bryant.
(Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
The loss narrowed the Lakers league lead to one game over the Cleveland Cavaliers and pulled the Clippers to within just two games of a .500 record. Currently 16-18, the Clippers now face three teams within two games of them in the standings (Miami, Memphis and New Orleans) and have a great chance set up a playoff run with Griffin. There are conflicting reports as to whether he’ll return at a set date, but it’s likely he’ll return before January is over.
Although the season has had its ups and downs and there hasn’t been much consistency, the positives (wins against the Lakers, Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets) along with a relatively easy January schedule continue to linger around long enough to keep hope alive.
Things aren’t looking as good for Clipper announcer Michael Smith though, who just got charged with allegedly stealing $735,000 from a friend in a failed land development deal. Smith, a former Clipper himself, could face up to five years in prison if convicted, although he’s pleaded not guilty.
Now if we could just get someone to steal the head coaching job away from Mike Dunleavy…
-Will.
“Diary of a Clippers Fan” will be published Mondays and Thursdays during the regular season.
