“Your top players have to bring you home,” Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. “That’s what the best players do. Against Atlanta, Joe Johnson had the basketball. Deron Williams had it against Utah. Dwyane Wade had it against Miami. The top players, that’s what they do.”
For a long time, the Clippers struggled to close out tight games. But like many other things around these parts, that’s beginning to change.
Who should get the ball with the game on the line for the Clippers? Coincidence or not, the answer to that question is becoming more defined as their record continues to improve. After wins against two top-shelf opponents in the Heat and the Lakers, it’s safe to say the Clippers have found their go-to guy when the game gets down to the nitty-gritty.
Baron Davis is the veteran leader, and Blake Griffin is one of the most electrifying players in the entire league, but when crunch time rolls around, it’s usually Eric Gordon closing up shop.
It’s dangerous to read too much into one game, but let’s look at what happened when the two (Kobe Bryant and Eric Gordon) met up with the game on the line this Sunday. Check out each player’s line when the game was within 5 points with 6 minutes left, and keep in mind that Gordon and Bryant covered each other for a good portion of this time:
Bryant: zero points, 0-for-1 from the field, 1 assist and 1 turnover.
Gordon: 8 points, 3-for-3 from the field, 2-for-2 from behind the arc, 2 assists, no turnovers and 1 steal.
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