By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Los Angeles Clippers are the hottest team in the Western Conference after raking their fifth consecutive win in the ongoing NBA regular season on November 25, 2024.
Fresh off back-to-back lopsided wins against the Sacramento Kings and the Orlando Magic, the Clippers continued their winning ways after demolishing the Philadelphia 76ers, 125-99, to improve to an 11-7 win-loss record.
The Clippers quickly stormed through the gates in the first 12 minutes of action after tallying their highest-scoring quarter of the game with 39 points.
Due to Los Angeles’ waxing-hot shooting from the field, the lead instantly grew to double digits, putting the 76ers in an early 12-point hole heading into the second quarter.
James Harden was a man on a mission for the Clippers as he torched Philadelphia with a barrage of three-pointers while at the same time setting up his teammates for wide-open looks.
Harden sparked Los Angeles’ massive rally in the third, outscoring the 76ers 35-22, to balloon their biggest lead of the ball game at 33 points.
With the absence of Joel Embiid and Paul George affecting Philadelphia’s inconsistent scoring in the game, head coach Nick Nurse decided to throw the white towel with six minutes still left in the final canto.
Harden was a beast and delivered an all-around performance of 23 points, eight assists, two rebounds, and a steal.
The crafty guard made a living in the charity stripe, draining all of his 12 free throw attempts while also burying three treys in just 27 minutes of playing time.
What was the most impressive department for the Clippers during their win was their balanced offensive attack, as all of their players including the bench mob chipped in a point in the win.
Ivica Zubac maintained his fine play and dominated the shaded lane with a double-double outing of 16 markers, 12 rebounds, and four dimes. The gentle giant was a walking bucket after shooting 8/10 from the field.
On the other hand, the 76ers failed to sustain their momentum from their win against the Brooklyn Nets and continued their struggles.
Philadelphia is still ranked last in the Eastern Conference with a disappointing 3-13 win-loss record and is now in desperate times if they want to continue their post-season streak.
