BEIJING – It says a lot about the direction of the Clippers that they were chosen by the NBA to play in such an important market as China.
The star power and excitement generated by the Clippers and the Heat dazzled the Beijing crowd. It wasn’t the best game for the Clippers in the 94-80 loss to the Heat, but it was a tremendous marketing victory for the NBA.
The fans who attended the game cheered wildly for their favorite players and I think it was surprising even to the NBA personnel just how popular basketball is in China.
Games like Thursday's where you don’t play your best can still be a positive, serving as a wake up call for the things you need to improve on.
Turnovers continue to be a problem for the Clippers with 25 vs. the Heat after 24 during the previous Denver game, both losses. But don’t panic yet, the cavalry is coming soon as Chris Paul is close to returning to the Clippers' lineup.
The Clippers looked strong on the boards, out-rebounding the defending champion Heat by a healthy margin, 52-34. Four players tallied at least eight rebounds - three of which you expected: Blake Griffin (8), DeAndre Jordan (8) and Lamar Odom (8) - and one which you did not, point guard Eric Bledsoe (also with 8). No member of the Heat had more than five.
Griffin was great as advertised with 19 points to go with those 8 boards, while Jamal Crawford and Caron Butler also looked strong chipping in with 16 and 13 respectively.
But this game was won and lost on the defensive end of the floor. Miami played championship-caliber defense from the opening tip. This is something the Clippers will need to learn how to do, but now is the time to learn those lessons.
After the game, both teams headed to the airport for the three-hour flight to Shanghai.
A 4 a.m. arrival will not make the Clippers film session any easier to watch.
The teams will conclude their two-game series on Sunday and then return home to the U.S.
