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Clippers vs. Bulls Game Recap: Second Half Surge
The LA Clippers used a second-half comeback to grab a 112-102 win agains the visiting Chicago Bulls.
Summary
Weekend matinee games have never been kind to the Clippers and Saturday against the Bulls was no different.
The Clippers got off to another slow start and gave the Bulls confidence to begin the game. A 23-12 deficit could have been seen coming from a mile away.
While they managed to whittle the lead down by the end of the first quarter, the second quarter was worse. Turnovers and poor transition defense, two of the Clippers main issues, were at the forefront of their 57-46 halftime deficit.
The Clippers did a complete 180 in the second half. A 10-0 run about halfway through the third quarter tied the game up at 67 and then another spurt saw them pull ahead, 76-71.
The Bulls had an answer though as a late Coby White three-point shot sent Chicago into the fourth quarter ahead, 85-83.
The Clipper used an 11-0 run early in the fourth to take control of the game, but the Bulls continued to have a response. It wasn’t until James Harden really put his stamp on the game that the Clippers surged ahead and didn’t look back. Harden finished with a triple-double, 14 points, 11 rebounds and ten assists.
Following the game, Clippers associate head coach Dan Craig credited the team’s urgency on the defensive end as being the key catalyst in the turnaround.
“We came out and really wanted to put some pressure on [DeMar] DeRozan and make him uncomfortable. . .get the ball out of his hands and that allowed us to get out in transition and get a couple of easy ones,” Craig said. “Offensively, the ball was really popping, just moving the ball side to side. We talked about it at halftime, just what to look for just in terms of what’s going to be available. I thought we did a good job exposing that.”
A major part of the Clippers second half comeback was Bones Hyland. With the injury to Russell Westbrook, Hyland has found himself back in the rotation as the backup point guard.
Hyland providing a spark in the third quarter and finished the game with ten points in 13 minutes. But it was his defense that was also a key factor.
“He comes in and he’s not afraid on either end of the floor,” Craig said about Hyland. “His off the ball defense is very good, he knows what he’s supposed to be doing. He’s active with his shrinks. And then just in terms of guarding the ball, he really tries to take the challenge, he’s not afraid of the matchup.”
Clippers vs. Bulls Game Recap: Second Half Surge
David Yapkowitz