Nba, Los Angeles Clippers-Atlanta Hawks, Gallinari 8 points

How do you fight the apathy of a race at noon? With a little… Coffey. He is the 24-year-old in the third year to give the Clippers 106-93 over Atlanta, crushed by the best game in the career of this son of art who enchants with 21 points and who with Ty Lue’s team has a two-way contract, one of those for which you have to commute with the G-League. In his sixth season as a starter, Coffey shows instead that in these crippled Clippers there is room for someone like him, constant energy in the tired engine of Lue’s team. A little energy would also be needed in Atlanta: apathetic, never able to level up, Danilo Gallinari’s team lost the second game of the weekend in Los Angeles. Not even the blue is saved: 8 points in 18 ‘.

ransom

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The Clippers (20 won-21 lost so far) return to winning ways after three defeats, but beating Atlanta, a team like Lue’s below expectations, does not erase all the problems with a swipe of the towel. Los Angeles without Paul George and Kawhi Leonard is a barely mediocre team, lacking personality, living off the impromptu exploits of players like Coffey, able to take advantage of opportunities they normally would not have. The mission always remains the same: resist while waiting for the cavalry to arrive. Waiting for PG and Kawhi, however, the Coffeys on duty are welcome: Amir, never above 15 points this year, was able to turn on the team, find the rhythm and infect his teammates. They finished in 7 in double figures, with Zubac who, while not scoring at least 10 points, made himself very useful with 13 rebounds.

trouble

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The Hawks (17-22) continue to be a puzzle, first of all for themselves. They have the same engine as the team that reached the final in the East last year, yet they run in circles, unable to repeat the same performances. Especially when Trae Young (19 points, first time after 17 games in a row below 25) and John Collins (9 points and 7 rebounds), on paper the columns of the franchise, play well below their standards. Atlanta has lost 8 of the last 11 games, and after the longest series of away games of the season, he returns home for 10 of the next 12 games in front of his own public: the first problem to be solved is the defense, the weak link for the whole season. The Hawks are at a crossroads: the management expects results, this group must prove to be up to it, something that has not succeeded so far.

the match

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Coffey (10 points in the first quarter) is the charge that the Clippers need to escape to 37-25 at the beginning of the second quarter, but Atlanta recovers and is down 59-53 at rest. Coffey gets the hosts back in motion after the break and the lead gradually increases to 86-73 at the third buzzer. Atlanta’s reaction never comes, so the Clippers not only control but widen the gap even further.
LA Clippers: Coffey 21 (3/4 of two, ⅝ of three), Ibaka 16, Morris 15. Rebounds: Zibac 13. Assist: Bledsoe 7.
Atlanta: GALLINARI 8 (2/4, 0/1, 4/4 tl), 3 rebounds, 1 assist in 18 ‘. Young 19 (7/15, 1/6, 2/2 tl), Bogdanovic 19 (5/8, 3/8), Luwawu-Cabarrot 14. Rebounds: Okongwu 10. Assist: Young 7.