NBA Playoffs 2019: Clippers' Lou Williams earns Player of the Day

Benyam Kidane

NBA Playoffs 2019: Clippers' Lou Williams earns Player of the Day image

The 2019 NBA Playoffs are heating up!

Every day from now until the end of the postseason, our NBA.com Staff will bring you one top performer following the completion of the playoff games on that day.

You'll be able to see the best performance and three honourable mentions from each day, while also having access to all prior "Player of the Night" files, as we see who can tally the most honours these playoffs.

Today's player of the day is...

Lou Williams

Team's result: Clippers 129, Warriors 121 (Warriors lead series 3-2)

Stat line: 33 points (12-19 FG, 1-2 3PT, 8-9 FT), 10 assists and four rebounds

Sweet Lou took over down the stretch for the Clippers, scoring 11 of his team-high 33 points in the fourth quarter, scoring nine unanswered points himself to turn a one-point deficit into a seven-point lead.

Honourable Mentions:

Kevin Durant

Team's result: Warriors 121, Clippers 129 (Warriors lead series 3-2)

Stat line: 45 points (14-26 FG, 5-12 3PT, 12-12 FT), 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 1 block

KD was in his bag from jump, scoring 21 points in the first half and he didn't take his foot off the gas, needing just 26 shots to reach 45 points.

It marked the 58th career playoff game Durant has scored 30 or more points, with today's effort moving him into 12th on the NBA's all-time playoff scoring list and 10th on the NBA's all-time playoff three-pointers made list.


 

Montrezl Harrell

Team's result: Clippers 129, Warriors 121 (Warriors lead series 3-2)

Stat line: 24 points (11-14 FG, 2-2 FT), 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block

The Clippers scored 54 points in the paint and it felt like Harrell scored every single one of them. 

The Warriors simply didn't have an answer for Harrell inside as he played off Williams in the pick-and-roll, throwing down dunk after dunk with yet another trademark high energy performance.


James Harden

Team's result: Rockets 100, Jazz 93 (Rockets win series 4-1)

Stat line: 26 oints (10-26 FG, 3-12 3PT, 3-5 FT), 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 4 blocks

After starting the game struggling with his shot, Harden turned things around down the stretch. 

Houston's reigning MVP opened Game 5 by missing 10 of his first 11 shot attempts, but as the game came down to the wire, he closed the game by knocking down nine of his final 15 shots 

While he finished with a game-high 26 points on 10-for-26 shooting, he impressed impressed on the defensive end, recording three steals and four blocks, the most blocks he's ever had in a playoff game.


Previous winners

April 14 - Stephen Curry

April 15 - Giannis Antetokounmpo

April 16 - Lou Williams

April 17 - Kawhi Leonard

April 18 - James Harden

April 19 - Ben Simmons

April 20 - Russell Westbrook

April 21 - Joel Embiid

April 22 - Kawhi Leonard

April 23 - Giannis Antetokounmpo

April 24 - Damian Lillard

Benyam Kidane

Benyam Kidane Photo

Benyam Kidane is a senior NBA editor and has been covering the league for The Sporting News since 2016. In his spare time you can find him watching Allen Iverson highlights on repeat.