Los Angeles Clippers vs Golden State Warriors meet in a decisive NBA match. Follow this duel in real time here on VAVEL Brasil.
The Clippers are without their best player Kawhi Leonard and this makes them underdogs. However, they have a solid supporting cast and Paul George and James Harden are in top form.
James Harden
James Edward Harden Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted in 2009 with the third overall pick in the NBA draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder and spent his first three seasons there. He helped the team reach the 2012 NBA Finals, where they lost to LeBron James and the Miami Heat in five games. After requesting a trade at the beginning of the 2020-21 season, he joined the Brooklyn Nets in a four-team deal. He has since become one of the most dominant scorers in league history.
The Los Angeles Clippers’ defense held Dallas Mavericks star James Harden in check, enabling them to win Game 1 on Tuesday night. The Clippers won 105-116 and now lead the series 1-0. Harden was held to 28 points and Ivica Zubac recorded a career playoff high of 20 points as the Clippers won their first road game of the playoffs.
In addition to his NBA success, Harden has become a global brand and is known for his numerous endorsements and clothing lines. He is also a philanthropist and has made multiple charitable contributions. In 2018, he won the NBA Most Valuable Player award for the fourth time in his career.
A multifaceted talent, Harden has been named to six All-Star teams and is a two-time scoring champion. He is a prolific rebounder and has an excellent shooting touch. He is also an accomplished passer with a strong ability to read the floor and find open teammates.
During his time at Arizona State, Harden was a consensus All-American and Pac-10 player of the year. He was selected with the third overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder and quickly became an integral part of the team’s offense. He won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 2012 and was a member of the gold-medal-winning United States national team at the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
Despite his many accomplishments, Harden is an understated leader and a great teammate. He has a reputation for being tough on his opponents and is known for his assertive style of play. His personality traits fit well with Enneagram Type 8, The Challenger.
Ivica Zubac
Zubac was a key contributor for the Clippers this season, helping them make the playoffs for the first time in four years. He averaged 12.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, while shooting 52 percent from the field and 43 percent from three-point range. He also made 27 blocks and seven steals in 61 games this season. He was drafted in the second round of the 2016 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Zubac has been battling an illness lately, and it’s unclear whether or not he’ll play Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. If he does, he would replace Mason Plumlee in the starting lineup and could be a decent fantasy option for deeper formats.
The Los Angeles Clippers are currently in the playoff hunt, and they’ll face the Dallas Mavericks in a first-round series in the Western Conference. Both teams are battling for the final two playoff spots in the conference, and they’ll meet in a must-win game. Luka Doncic has been one of the highlights of the season for the Mavericks, and he’ll be looking to continue his stellar play in this rematch.
In addition to his outstanding play for the Clippers, Zubac is also a standout on the international basketball circuit. He played with the Croatian junior national team during the 2013 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship and the 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Championship in Greece. He is a naturalized Croatian citizen, and his parents hail from Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Ivica Zubac scored 20 points on 10-of-17 shooting, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range, to help the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Denver Nuggets 113-109. He also added 15 rebounds and one block in the victory. He was named the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week for the fourth time this season.
Ivica Zubac (pronounced via baats) is a professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 26-year-old Croatian center was drafted in the second round with the 32nd overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. He has previously played for KK Cibona Zagreb and KK Zrinjavec Zagreb of the Croatian Basketball League (Liga).
Montrezl Harrell
The Los Angeles Clippers have added a veteran big man in the form of former NBA Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell. The 29-year-old has played in 415 NBA games, including 157 for the 76ers and the Rockets over the past two seasons. Harrell, who was born on January 26, 1994, stands at a height of 6’8′′ (2m03 ft) and can shoot from anywhere on the floor. He has scored over 1,100 points in his career, including a career-high 34 in a game for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers last year.
He has a career average of 12.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. He also has the fourth-highest shooting percentage of any center in NBA history. In addition, Harrell has a total of 1,415 rebounds and 511 blocks. He has won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award twice, and in 2020 he was named a Second Team All-NBA.
Harrell’s addition to the 76ers adds depth to their bench, but it is unclear if he will be able to compete with Paul Reed for minutes behind Joel Embiid. He played just five minutes on Saturday, when he entered the rotation as the team opted for small-ball lineups without their star power forward.
He returned to the rotation on Thursday, but he only played three minutes in the team’s loss to the Mavericks. He is expected to see limited playing time in the future, especially if the team continues to go with small-ball lineups.
The 76ers are still a long way away from being a contender, but Harrell’s presence adds some much-needed energy to their bench. The former NBA Sixth Man of the Year is a proven scorer and should be able to help them challenge the Warriors for the division title. The signing also raises questions about the role of second-year center Mo Bamba, who will be competing with Harrell for backup minutes.
Lou Williams
Lou Williams has been a staple on the NBA bench for 17 years, winning three Sixth Man of the Year awards and scoring more points off the bench than anyone in league history. The 36-year-old former 76ers, Hawks, Raptors, Lakers, and Rockets point guard will retire after this season.
He’s a smart, patient player who knows how to make the most of his opportunities off the bench. His ability to find the open man is what sets him apart from other reserve point guards. He’s also a very good free throw shooter. He hit 84 free throws in his third 6MOTY campaign, which bested skilled guards like Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Crawford.
Williams’ favorite way to score is by attacking the basket with his right hand. He’s a big fan of that extended-arm scoop layup, and he uses it to combat his lack of size and muscle mass. The 6’1″ guard also loves to get low under defenders on his 1-2, which helps him earn consistent trips to the line.
The Memphis native can also be a major scoring threat in the midrange with his polished float game. He’ll often explode off the dribble with quick left-to-right changes, then snake the ball back to his left side before rising up and firing. In 2019-2020, his 822 midrange points were tops in the league and bested guards like Malcolm Brogdon and D’Angelo Russell.
While his dribble drive is effective going either direction, Lou prefers to attack the basket with his right hand. Defenders will often avoid playing him straight up because of how deadly he is shooting from the left, which can open his right side for swift, straight-line drives. In 2018-2019, Lou’s 922 drives begged for 619 points and ranked him seventh in the league.
While he only tweets sporadically, when Lou Williams speaks, people listen. He recently spoke out on the importance of the AEBL, the Atlanta Entertainment Basketball League, and how it helps the local community. It’s a great video that you should definitely check out!
Pingback: 5 of the Richest NBA Players Ever all the Time - Witty Web World