Clippers coach Tyronn Lue believes that the team’s lack of defense at the start of games lately caused them to stumble on their continued road to the postseason. They lost four consecutive games after opening with double-digit leads, leaving them on the cusp of the bottom half of the four-team Play-In Tournament.
He said the team needs to establish a defensive mindset at tipoff and continue to focus on stopping opponents for all 48 minutes. It was that type of thinking that propelled them from a 6-21 start to the season to two games above .500 just nine days ago.
“We got to have a defensive identity with that first unit. We got to understand what we’re trying to do, what we’re trying to accomplish,” Lue said. “But you start the game off and give up 42 points in the first quarter, it’s hard to come back from that.
“So, we got to make our minds up that we want to be a defensive-playing team. That’s what we got to do to start games and then go from there.”
The Clippers (35-36) resumed that approach in a 138-131 overtime victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night. This time, with both Kawhi Leonard and Darius Garland in the lineup, they stayed in their lane, focused on limiting the Mavs in the second half and kept up their defensive pressure in overtime to snap their four-game losing streak.
“I mean in this game, and then in New Orleans the other day, we got to a really good start defensively,” Lue said. “Same thing in the San Antonio game, but it’s got to be 48 minutes. That’s who we have to be. And so, we’re turning teams over, we’re guarding teams, rebounding the basketball, that’s when we’re at our best offensively, as well.”
Having both stars on the court will be key for a strong finish to the season. Leonard sat out losses to the Sacramento Kings, the San Antonio Spurs, and the second night of the back-to-back against the New Orleans Pelicans. Both he and Garland played in the first loss of the series against the Pelicans.
Balancing the stars’ need for rest and the team’s need for victories is a difficult task for Lue. On one side, there are lingering injuries.
Leonard has been bothered lately by a tender ankle, while Garland continues to manage season-long toe issues. Lue has tried to stagger their minutes to not overplay them.
The other side is the offense they bring. Leonard is averaging 28.3 points and 6.3 assists this season, while Garland has contributed 21.4 points and 7.0 assists in his nine games with the Clippers. The two-time All-Star point guard scored 41 points behind eight 3-pointers, had 11 assists, three rebounds, one blocked shot and one steal in 39 minutes against the Mavs.
“We got to get production when Kawhi comes off the floor and when Darius comes off the floor,” Lue said. “When both those guys are on the floor together, we’re really good.”
“So, we just got to understand (what we need to do) when one of those guys comes off the floor.”
Lue has little time to figure out the Leonard-Garland minutes with no practice time and just 11 regular-season games remaining. And after three frustrating losses to teams that were below .500 and one to the Spurs, the Clippers find themselves on a standings tightrope. One slip and they could drop from the No. 8 seed and fall deeper down the Play-In ladder.
Ninth-place Portland (35-37) is just a half-game back through Sunday, and 10th-place Golden State (33-38) is two games back. The Clippers have two games left with the Blazers (one at home) and one against the Warriors, the regular-season finale at the Intuit Dome.
BUCKS AT CLIPPERS
When: Monday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood
TV/Radio: FDSN SoCal, 1150 AM
