Dominick Barlow goes nuclear, Sixers smoke Clippers 128-113 to begin West Coast trip
The Sixers just opened the West Coast trip with a win that was never really in doubt. Philly beat the Clippers 128-113 at Intuit Dome Monday night to improve to 28-21, and Dominick Barlow put together the best night of his NBA life. Career-high 26 points. Career-best 16 rebounds. Ten offensive boards.
Dominick Barlow was everywhere, and the Clippers had no answer for the effort.
Tyrese Maxey finished with 29 points, six assists, five rebounds, and three steals. Joel Embiid scored 24 and didn’t even need to go nuclear. Kawhi Leonard had 29 for the Clippers, but it never mattered because Los Angeles spent the entire night chasing.
This was also another “Paul George is still suspended” game for the Sixers, and the Clippers were shorthanded too. James Harden was out for “personal reasons” and Derrick Jones Jr. missed with an ankle sprain. Still, the way Philly came out made it obvious they weren’t interested in excuses.
The first quarter was a clinic. Maxey hit two early threes and poured in 16 points in the first on efficient shooting. Dominick Barlow set the tone. Put-backs, an and-one in transition, and a chase-down block on Kawhi. He had 11 points and seven rebounds in the first quarter alone, and the Sixers jumped out 18-2.
Dominick Barlow 1Q: 11 PTS, 6 REB, 4-6 FGM, 9 MIN
The Clippers scored 19 points in the entire quarter, and Kawhi started 0-for-5 because Philly was sending bodies at him from the jump.
Nick Nurse also leaned into a three-guard look early, and it worked. Jared McCain hit a three on his first shot and then shared the floor with VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes.
Edgecombe didn’t score early and had a brutal shooting night overall, but he actually looked comfortable running point and racked up seven assists. Grimes brought some life too, including a big dunk that woke up the bench.
The Clippers did have a push in the second quarter once they adjusted to all the doubles on Kawhi. Leonard caught fire for a 5-for-5 stretch and L.A. went on a 9-0 run to trim the deficit, but Philly never let the game flip.
Even with Embiid starting 2-for-10 in the first half, the Sixers stayed in control because they owned the glass and kept hitting timely shots.
In the third, Embiid settled in, got to the line, and found his rhythm. The Clippers never really went away, mostly because the Sixers had a few sloppy defensive breakdowns, including a wide-open dunk late in the quarter that forced a Nurse timeout.
McCain and Grimes hit threes at the right time to stop the bleeding and keep the lead double digits.
Dominick Barlow’s career high came in the perfect way. With 8:23 left in the fourth, he grabbed an offensive rebound, then finished an and-one lefty layup to hit 26. Next trip down, he knocked down a long jumper just to add insult.
The Clippers didn’t have the precision to make a real run after that, and they never led at any point. When Kawhi missed two straight free throws late, Maxey drilled a step-back three and that was the final nail.
The Sixers didn’t need a miracle, a whistle, or a last-second shot. They went wire-to-wire, outworked the Clippers, and got a career night from a two-way guy who refuses to play like a two-way guy.
Next up is the Warriors on Tuesday night. If Dominick Barlow is going to rebound like that and Maxey keeps controlling games, this road trip can get real fun fast.
Join The Chase
Read More
76ers hire Mike Gansey, but Josh Harris is still the real problem
The 76ers have a new front office boss. According to…
Tyrese Maxey named to All-NBA Third Team, led the entire league in minutes
Tyrese Maxey was named to the All-NBA Third Team for…
Predictable: Jameer Nelson is a ‘top candidate’ for the Sixers President of Basketball Operations position
Jameer Nelson, the St. Joe’s legend and current Sixers assistant…
Comments (0)