Clippers 120-106 Hornets | NBA: Serge Ibaka returns to the courts 167 days later and does it to the ‘Iblocka’

Serge Ibaka I returned this Sunday after more than five months without playing by injury and his team, Los Angeles Clippers, defeated the Charlotte Hornets (120-106) thanks to a great last quarter (31-19 including an impressive 22-0 partial).

The Hispanic-Congolese pvot disputed 8 minutes off the bench, he had problems with fouls (5), he missed the 3 shots he tried, caught a rebound, gave an assist and put a monumental plug on Cody Martin.

Beyond their numbers, Ibaka’s return is great news for some Clippers (5-4) that urgently need troops and whose 2021-2022 season is marked by the lesin de larga duracin de Kawhi Leonard.

The back weighs on Ibaka

Ibaka, 32, could only play 43 games last season due to back problems that finally led to surgery in June. The pvot averaged 11.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in the 41 regular season games he played with the Clippers, while in the playoffs he only participated in a testimonial way in 2 games at the end of May.

Your contract It included a termination option that the player could have exercised this summer, but Ibaka decided to continue.

As for today’s game, the Clippers boasted a collective with six players above 14 points and with Paul George (20 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists), Reggie Jackson (19 points and 6 assists) and Luke Kennard (18 points) as his top scorers.

Tyronn Lue’s men made 48% of their shots but lost 20 balls.

On the part of the Hornets (5-6), who dissolved like a sugar in the final stretch, LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, with 21 points per head, they were the most prominent.

RAIN OF TRIPLES

Not wanting to defend, the two teams surrendered at the beginning to a rain of triples (7 of 11 between the two) that ended up benefiting the Hornets thanks to Miles Bridges’ 8 points without failure (15-20 with 7.03 to go).

LaMelo Ball, originally from Southern California (USA), had many fans in the Staples Center stands and he more than delivered: he was the leading scorer in the first quarter with 13 points.

The Hornets surpassed the ten point advantage with some comfort against a too weak home defense.

Serge Ibaka stepped on the court with 3.52 left and he got a great applause from the public, but he could not improve the protection of the Clippers rim (31-39).

The Angelenos started the second quarter much more focused on defense. Ibaka left his post to Isaiah Hartenstein and the young pvot showed off with 6 points in a minute and a half to bring his team closer (41-43 with 9.13 to be disputed).

The Clippers drove the game home, with a slower pace and a more solid defense over the Hornets, and Paul George capped the comeback with an elegant mid-range basket (45-44 with 6.52 left).

The game will go in absolute equality to rest, but Terance Mann, on the horn and from the middle of the court, He hit a spectacular and lucky triple for the Clippers to go with a smile to the locker room (61-58).

BALANCE UP TO THE FINAL TRACHA

Nico Batum had been the best of the Clippers in the first half (13 points, 5 of 7 shooting) and do not stop at the restart: he hit a triple to uncork the third quarter and put a big stopper to Terry Rozier.

Unlike Batum, Reggie Jackson had not had luck (0 of 5 in triples before the break) but in the third quarter he was encouraged to keep the locals ahead (71-65 with 7.19 left).

The Hornets could not find their way between turnovers and misses from the perimeter, while an inspired Mann channeled the Clippers’ aggressiveness (80-74 with 3.12 left).

Ibaka played the last two minutes and watched closely as Gordon Hayward threw Charlotte’s men on his back. with 10 points in the third set to leave everything in the air before the last quarter (89-87).

Ibaka had no aim in the shot, but before going to the bench in the fourth quarter (with 10.08 to go) he gave a huge plug on Cody Martin when he was about to smash the Clippers’ rim.

Then Rozier stepped forward, firmly driving a resounding 4-15 run for the visitors (93-102 with 7.09 left).

But when they had everything going for it, the visitors were staggeringly deflated.

A huge 22-0 run struck the Hornets with Jackson, George and Kennard leading a razor-sharp offense by some Clippers who also bit on defense to clinch the win.