Miami Heat 118-125 LA Clippers: Twitter lauds Ty Lue's men as they win without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George
The LA Clippers played without their two biggest stars, but they still defeated the Miami Heat 125-118 at Staples Center. Although Jimmy Butler had a triple-double with 30 points,10 rebounds and 10 assists, his efforts weren't enough to carry the Heat to victory.
Kawhi Leonard missed a second consecutive game with a leg contusion, and Paul George continued to miss time on the court with a foot injury. LA Clippers guard Pat Beverley was out as well. But the LA Clippers had more than enough firepower to win the Monday matchup.
Check out the Twitter reactions from both fans and the media regarding the Miami-Heat-LA Clippers match on Monday:
Several players stepped up for the LA Clippers
Lou Williams was the team's chief playmaker tonight and he dished the ball to his teammates in their sweet spots. Marcus Morris Sr. had a huge game with 32 points, on a sizzling hot 11-of-15 shooting from the field and 6-of-8 from three.
Ivica Zubac also stepped up with 22 points off the bench. Terance Mann maximized his opportunity as a starter and was a huge difference-maker for the Clippers with 15 points.
Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro played well, but the rest of the Miami Heat were M.I.A.
Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro tried their best, but they weren't enough. The trio just didn't have enough help, and the Miami Heat defense couldn't stop the LA Clippers from scoring.
It was an incredible game by the LA Clippers as Tyronn Lue outcoached the Miami Heat's Erik Spoelstra. Many were questioning what the problem was with the Heat. This was just a masterful performance by the Clippers, who have shown resilience in the face of adversity.
Ultimately, the LA Clippers received better contributions from their bench than the Miami Heat received from starters not named Jimmy or Bam. The Clippers reserves scored 47 points to the Heat's other starters, who could only score 21 in total.
Someone offered words of encouragement for Bam Adebayo, who recorded 27 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks. But ultimately, this was a head-scratcher of a loss for the Miami Heat. So many things went right for them to win this game, but they squandered their opportunity.
The LA Clippers earned their fourth straight win, while the Miami Heat are headed in the opposite direction after recording their second loss in a row. There were probably a lot of heated conversations in the Heat locker room after the game, while the Clippers were no doubt celebrating this huge win.
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