Tyronn Lue’s Clippers have been confusing as they have been plagued by inconsistent play despite having such a talented group led by stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
The Clippers coach tried to explain why his team has struggled with repeated mistakes and mental breakdowns in recent weeks.
“We’re a .500 basketball team,” Lue said.
Lue told a real truth: The Clippers are 5-5 in their last 10 games. And things weren’t going to get any easier Monday against an Indiana Pacers team that led the NBA in scoring (123.1 points per game) and passing percentage (50.6%).
The Clippers once again showed how average they have become this month, losing to the Pacers 133-116 at Crypto.com Arena to fall to fifth place in the Western Conference. The Clippers and fourth-seeded Pelicans have identical records (44-27), but New Orleans holds the tiebreaker after winning the season series 3-1.
Trailing by 23 points in the fourth quarter, the Clippers couldn’t rally and fell to 7-7 in March. They will look to get their season back on track when they open a four-game road trip against Chicago on Wednesday.
Leonard and George each scored 26 points. Russell Westbrook, who sat out three weeks after surgery to repair a broken left hand, provided a much-needed boost of energy, finishing with 14 points, seven assists and four rebounds in 18 minutes.
Pascal Siakam led Indiana (41-32) with 31 points and Myles Turner had 24 points and seven rebounds.
“Talent says a lot,” Lue said before the game. “We’re just going through a tough time right now. So I feel confident. You may be confused, but you’re not in the locker room. It doesn’t really matter. But for our guys, we feel confident. We take care of what we take care of and the victories will begin to pile up. We have the talent. … We’re pretty good.”
