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The LA Clippers once again went to battle without Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Patrick Beverley. This time, they took on an equally depleted opponent, the Miami Heat. For the 10th straight game, the Heat took the court without their star Jimmy Butler.
This matchup started out all Miami, with the Heat outscoring the Clippers 33-19 in the first quarter. This outburst was met with a strong answer from the LA Clippers, who took a 9-point lead into the fourth quarter. Neither team had a true standout player, but rather many players filling their roles and making shots when their numbers were called.
LA Clippers outlast Miami Heat in shorthanded battle
The LA Clippers have been without their star Kawhi Leonard since January 24th, as he undergoes COVID protocol and conditions for his return. The same goes for Paul George and Patrick Beverley, with many bench players filling into their spots in the mean time.
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The Miami Heat have gotten great production from Gabe Vincent off the bench, averaging 8 points and 2 assists on the season and exploding for 18 points tonight. Tyler Herro had an off-night of shooting, going 8-of-21 from the field but still finishing with a team-high of 19 points.
Here's how Twitter reacted to the shorthanded showdown:
Clearly, this game had a somewhat anticlimactic feel when the stars of both teams were declared out, but the bench players made the most of their extended minutes and battled until the end.
Here are more reactions to the LA Clippers' narrow victory:
The Miami Heat fell to 6-12 on the season with this loss, desperately awaiting the returns of Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic. The LA Clippers improved to 14-5 with the win, taking sole posession of 2nd place in the Western Conference standings.
Both teams will be very anxious to return to full strength, but for the time being, their role players will get valuable minutes and hopefully build depth for a postseason run.
