SACRAMENTO -- Paul George? It seems like the Clippers already had his production hiding in plain sight for a few years. Norm Powell had 31 points and an impressive 12 rebounds to secure the Clippers third straight victory, 107-98 over the Sacramento Kings.
Jayson Tatum is now the only player that has more 20-point games this season than Powell, and it looks like he is sharpening his other attributes as well.
POW- POW- POWELL👌 pic.twitter.com/88h1ZHBa8m
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) November 9, 2024
Norm grabbed an impressive 12 rebounds to give himself a double-double, and has looked like a star so far in 2024.
On the road, the team is undefeated collectively, now sitting at 4-0 there, and 5-4 overall. The main reason why? Defense.
BIG BL🚫CK! BIG BUCKET 🪣!
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) November 9, 2024
What a play by BIG ZU! pic.twitter.com/daJsrtwIte
The Sacramento Kings had scored 110 points or more in every game this season, and the Clippers held them to only 98 on Friday night. Many talk about the additions of Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn, Nico Batum and Kevin Porter Jr. as the best offseason decisions, but it might be Jeff Van Gundy,
The Clippers now rank 4th in the NBA in defensive rating, and have been active in shutting down opposing offenses.
Obviously, the record of 5-4 does not indicate the level of play they are at right now, but this team is playing as good as anyone.
It didn’t stop at Powell however, as James Harden poured in 22 points and 8 assists, Ivica Zubac notched a double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds, and Amir Coffey and Derrick Jones Jr. both scored 14 on the night.
HE’S SOARING’, FLYIN'
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) November 9, 2024
James Harden ↗️ Derrick Jones Jr. pic.twitter.com/hgLVk8XUjo
The team is getting contributions by everyone, and Kris Dunn and Nico Batum are also a big part of the defensive identity and intensity this far.
Terance Mann was a +17, while Batum was a +13, just showing the depth of this roster, even without Kawhi Leonard.
Coffey runs on DUNKIN’ pic.twitter.com/eiSUwoS5jD
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) November 9, 2024
The Clippers could very well be 8-1 at this point if they were able to retain their leads and finish games, but 5-4 is a great mark for a team that just had one of the toughest schedules to start the season in the NBA.
The Clippers head back home for a back-to-back against the Toronto Raptors at Intuit Dome. Tipoff is set for 7:30 PM PST on Saturday night.