Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin Solidifies Superstar Status With MVP-like Performance
By Dan Schultz
@DSchultz89
Getty Images
After all the talk of the Golden State Warriors easily being the new kings of the Pacific Division, the Los Angeles Clippers showed yet again on Monday night why they are still a force to be reckoned with in the standings.
Blake Griffin’s miraculous bounce on a fadeaway 3-pointer as time expired in overtime lifted the Clippers to a 121-120 victory over another division rival, the Phoenix Suns. This was a tight-fisted affair that ultimately came down to Griffin’s ability to consistently turn something out of nothing.
The Clippers’ offense in the final stages of the fourth quarter as well as overtime often settled for isolation plays with little off ball-movement, but Griffin repeatedly saved them with his aggressiveness and fearlessness in pulling up from anywhere on the court.
By all accounts, the Suns should have won this game thanks to their high-octane pick-and-roll motion offense that beautifully opened up big looks for players like Markieff Morris, Gerald Green and Goran Dragic. Their ball movement in the final minutes was executed to near perfection, which has been the biggest reason why a team without a true superstar on their roster has remained so competitive over the last few seasons.
However, they could not find any way to counter Griffin, who recorded 45 points and eight rebounds on a remarkable 14-of-24 shooting from the field. While Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans has rightly been anointed as the best power forward in the NBA, Griffin is showing early on in this season why he is clearly the second-best player at his position.
Not only that, but he is an MVP candidate who has a legitimate shot of winning the award if Davis is unable to get his team to the playoffs this season.
The Clippers are scorching hot, having won nine of their last 10 games, and are currently on an eight-game winning streak. Their offense and ball movement still need more fluidity, but it is clear that Griffin has reached superstar status and his game has kicked into another gear.
Dan Schultz is an NBA sports writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @dschultz89. “Like” him on Facebook and add him on Google.
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