When the Clippers allowed Paul George to walk in the offseason, many saw it as the end of L.A.’s time in the Western Conference limelight.

But what if we told you it was only the beginning?

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday to Enjoyers Antonio, Nicole, Chris, Anthony, Emanuel, Adam, and Pranav! 🎉

Weekend Wrap-Up

Harden, Powell lead Clippers past Bucks 127-117

If there was a competition for the best nicknames in the NBA, “The Beard” and “Stormin’ Norman” would be near the top of the list. Luckily for the Clippers, those guys also happen to be pretty good at basketball.

On Saturday, L.A. earned an impressive win over Milwaukee, led by big games from James Harden (40 PTS, 9 AST) and Norman Powell (33 PTS). The win included a 14-0 run that began with a Powell slam and ended with a Harden triple to put the Clips ahead 112-100. Milwaukee had gems of its own, notably Damian Lillard dropping his second triple-double in as many days with 29 PTS, 10 AST, and 10 REB and Giannis adding 36 PTS, but in the end, a team effort from L.A. (including a 28/28 clip from the free throw line) helped secure the dub.

As Kawhi Leonard continues to work back to his typical fun guy self (he had 18 PTS in three quarters on Saturday) the Clippers figure in as a real threat in the West playoff picture. Our condolences to whichever team has to play this squad + a healthy Kawhi.

Lakers beat Warriors 118-108 on eve of five-year anniversary of Kobe’s passing

It’s been five years since the death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and the seven others lost on January 26, 2020. And in the time since, the Mamba’s legacy has never been forgotten in the basketball community.

The Lakers honored the Mamba’s memory with a win over Golden State on Saturday night, going into San Francisco and leaving another rung higher on the playoff ladder. Anthony Davis led the way with 36 PTS, 13 REB, and 3 STL, while LeBron added 25 PTS and 12 AST. And though many (including us!) billed this matchup as a classic LeBron-Chef duel, the Lakers held Steph Curry to 0/8 shooting in the second half, allowing the LakeShow to steadily pull away. LeBron even clued the media in to L.A.’s complex strategy to slow Steph down.

To this day, Kobe’s memory continues to inspire the next generation of hoopers. And that goes especially for the purple and gold!

Elsewhere around the NBA…

• The city of Brooklyn was subject to Vinsanity on Saturday night when Vince Carter’s jersey went into the rafters of Barclays Center. Though Brooklyn ultimately fell to Miami 106-97 behind 25 PTS and 8 AST from Tyler Herro, it was still a perfect celebration for the recent Hall of Famer, who couldn’t help but get emotional when his jersey was lifted.

• It hasn’t been the season that the Philadelphia faithful imagined, but Tyrese Maxey has continued to be a bright spot for the 76ers. This weekend, the speedy young guard averaged 30 PTS and 8 AST while leading Philly to back-to-back wins, including a 132-129 W over the East-leading Cavaliers on Friday night. Something about those Kentucky guards…

Record Retrospective

In honor of Kobe, let’s take a look back on the most points scored in a game in the modern era of the NBA: Bean’s legendary 81 on January 22, 2006.

During the ‘05-’06 season, Kobe embarked on one of the most impressive scoring campaigns in hoops history. In December 2005, he dropped 62 PTS in three quarters against Dallas, using his signature combination of footwork and shot creation to personally outscore the Mavs 62-61.

Just over a month later, Kobe and the Lakers faced off with the Raptors at Staples Center. They trailed by 14 at halftime despite 26 PTS from the Mamba in the first half, and for Toronto, Mike James, Chris Bosh, and Jalen Rose contributed solid scoring efforts to give the Raps the early advantage.

But in the second half, Kobe took over. With the Lakers’ backs against the wall, Bryant delivered a half for the ages, racking up 55 PTS and and finishing the day with an unreal stat line of 81 PTS on 28/46 shooting, seven threes, and 18/20 from the line. It was the second-most points scored in a single game in league history, and the most since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976.

Three in the Key

Signing Off

And we out! Thanks for spending a portion of your day with us. This week, be sure to trust in yourself. Whether it’s a difficult task or a tough decision, believe in yourself deep down that you’ve got what it takes to make it through. See you soon!

-Walker Carnathan