Kawhi Leonard (#2) of the Los Angeles Clippers is surrounded by defenders of the Orlando Magic in the game at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 30, 2021. /CFP
The Orlando Magic upset the Los Angeles Clippers 103-96 on the road on Tuesday after coming back from a 16-point trail.
One day earlier, the Clippers beat the Eastern Conference No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks without Paul George, Patrick Beverly, Serge Ibaka and newly-landed Rajon Rondo. Though they hosted the Magic back-to-back, no one expected any surprises from the East's No. 14 at Staples Center on Tuesday.
The first half went along as many had assumed. The Clippers finished the first quarter leading 26-13 and expanded it to 16 points in the third quarter. Though the Magic put up some resistance in Q3 and narrowed their trail down by a bit, the Clippers, as the stronger team, managed to stabilize the situation. They led 91-82 when there were less than five minutes left of the game.
Michael Carter-Williams (C) of the Orlando Magic shoots in the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center, March 30, 2021. /CFP
That's when things began to get out of control. The Magic launched a 21-5 run in the following period of time. They grabbed four offensive rebounds and forced at least three turnovers by the Clippers, two of which were by Kawhi Leonard. Meanwhile, the Clippers missed six jumpers, three from downtown and two blocked.
Tuesday's loss put an end to the Clippers' six-winning-streak and 8-0 record for back-to-back games.
The Clippers' game, won or lost, is much simpler than those of other teams because they relied heavily on perimeter shooting. For example, the Clippers did better than the Magic on Tuesday in a 3-pointer shooting, but going 12-37 was not good enough to win for them. By contrast, the Magic, though only buried five triples at 29.41-percent, they earned 25 free throws and made 22 of them. They also turned the Clippers' 14 turnovers into 15 fast-break points and 17 turnover points.
Lack of aggressiveness has been haunting the Clippers since last season's playoffs, just like Leonard's sloppy handling of the ball.
Other games on Tuesday (away teams come first):
Russell Westbrook (C) of the Washington Wizards dunks in the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 30, 2021. /CFP
Charlotte Hornets 114-104 Washington Wizards
Russell Westbrook scored his 17th triple-double after dropping 22 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists against the Hornets at Capital One Arena on Tuesday. His average numbers this season have reached triple-double as well: 21.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 10.6 assists.
However, such explosive performance could not bring the Wizards to victory. As Bradley Beal sat on the game, the team's firepower dropped by at least 50 percent. The only two guys who had reached 50 percent on the field were Alex Len and Robin Lopez, two big men who did not have to create their own opportunities. Despite that, the Wizards as a whole were still only 41 percent in field goals.
On the Hornets' side, Terry Rozier III and Gordon Hayward together contributed 53 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists, making sure their team avoids straight losses.
Michael Porter Jr. (C) of the Denver Nuggets dunks in the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, U.S., March 30, 2021. /CFP
Philadelphia 76ers 95-104 Denver Nuggets
The 76ers came to Ball Arena without their best player Joel Embiid. That means they had to countermeasure to Nikola Jokic, either offensively or defensively. Nonetheless, Jokic, who put down 21 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, was not the biggest hero of Tuesday's game.
Michael Porter Jr. was. The 22-year-old went 11-16 in total and 5-7 in triples to get 27 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. When the opponents had to invest most of their defensive attention in Jokic, Porter could receive decent opportunities for easy points by cutting into the paint because he's too big for the 76ers' defenders and Jokic's passing could always find him.
The other piece of good news for the Nuggets is that Jamal Murray is finding his best form back. Not only did he score court-high 30 points in Tuesday's game, but he has also averaged 23 points and 5.3 assists by shooting 50, 45 and 91 percent on the field, 3-point line and free throw line, respectively since January.
Jae Crowder (#99) and Chris Paul (#3) celebrate after Crowder drains a 3-pointer in the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Phoenix Suns Arena in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S., March 30, 2021. /CFP
Atlanta Hawks 110-117 Phoenix Suns
The Suns claimed their third straight win defeating the Hawks at home, but the process was not a picnic. The Hawks took a hit in the first half as John Collins sprained his left ankle. He had to quit the game early in the third quarter. The Suns soon extended their lead to 16 points.
However, then the Hawks launched a sharp counter strike with an incomplete squad. Shots from the arc kept falling for Danilo Gallinari while Torrey Craig continuously charged the Suns' rim. Thanks to their efforts, the Hawks tied the score 103-103 when there were less than four minutes left.
The Suns' fans should be happy to see what happened next. 35-year-old Chris Paul first made a jumper for the team. Then their young center Deandre Ayton scored twice under the rim, one a hook shot over Clint Capela and the other a putback. In the last 24 seconds, Paul assisted Jae Crowder to drain a triple while drawing a foul to make a four-point play, sealing the win for the Suns. Veteran's performance (Paul), big man's toughness (Ayton) and forward's reliability (Crowder), the Suns will need them all to make a difference in the playoffs.