Difference Maker was Montrezl Harrell
While multiple Clippers had strong games (Tobias Harris, Lou Williams, Boban), this game was won and lost by the efforts of the Clippers Montrezl Harrell.
He was a complete beast on offense and defense, finishing with a wild stat line of 25 points, 11 rebounds, 5 steals and 2 blocks in 31 minutes. He was a +13 in that time.
The Hawks had no chances of stopping him, and he looks like a real difference-maker for the Clippers going forward. We succinctly summed it up on Twitter:
Tbh Harrell really deserves a big deal... like Capela money at least. Good defender, too quick for slow bigs, too burly for smaller bigs. Not shabby defending in space either
— Soaring Down South (@SoaringDwnSouth) November 20, 2018
Perhaps it’s recency bias due to him completely spanking our Hawks, or perhaps it’s his career-highs in free throws made (15) and attempted (18), but I’m ready and willing to say Harrell is one of the most underrated players in basketball.
The Atlanta Hawks play next on Wednesday against the Toronto Raptors.