LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Clippers hosted the Indiana Pacers Monday night in what was supposed to be their famous backup point guard comeback Russell Westbrook, who missed 12 games due to a broken left hand. It was also an opportunity for the Clippers to bounce back from another disappointing performance at home after losing Sunday to the Philadelphia 76ersa setback that almost caused coach Tyronn Lue to I almost said a bad word while frustratingly describing how his veteran team knows “what they’re supposed to do.”
But after a 133-116 loss to Indiana, Westbrook’s return was an afterthought for a team that lost its fifth straight home game and now trails in scoring. New Orleans Pelicans for fifth place in the Western Conference.
“At present, do we have an identity? I think, yeah. We’re soft,” Lue said calmly, more than half an hour after the final buzzer. “It could be an identity, if you want to call it that. We have to be tougher, mentally and physically.
Tyronn Lue said James Harden is now questioning his identity
And T. Lue said that the identity had been shaken and, on the contrary, the team had softened. pic.twitter.com/Mnzp5d4ZkL
– Law Murray ???? (@LawMurrayTheNU) March 26, 2024
The Clippers had the NBAThe team’s best record in games played in December and January, with a combined score of 23-5, then won its first three games in February. But since February 6, when they finished the night in first place in the Western Conference, the team is only 10-12. LA is the only team in the league that hasn’t won or lost three straight games since the trade deadline, seven weeks of inconsistent play.
Westbrook played just over 18 minutes against Indiana and had 14 points, four rebounds and seven assists. This is the first time he has reached these numbers or better in the same match since November 25 against the Dallas Mavericks. After Monday’s loss, he talked about how the Clippers needed to keep the team together.
“You don’t point fingers, you don’t blame,” Westbrook said before Lue took the podium. “Every individual, I think we have to look inward, look within ourselves and figure out how we can help our team better. I think that’s where we start, we start with ourselves. I start with myself. And then come together collectively and think about how we can now bring what we all have and bring to the table.
“As we saw when we did it the right way, it shows we are a tough team to stop. And we know where our ceiling is, we know how we need to get there. And I think at the end of the day, as a leader, it’s my job to hold the guys accountable, to hold myself accountable and to make sure that we stay together through this difficult little time that we let’s cross. And for me, it’s that simple.
The Clippers now begin a four-game journey that begins with James HardenThe return match in Philadelphia. He missed his only 3-point attempt Monday, marking the first time he played more than 30 minutes and failed to attempt multiple 3s in a game since the 2012 playoffs.
“I’m not sure, I haven’t had a chance to talk to him about his shoulder,” Lue said when asked about a shoulder injury that caused Harden to miss two games this month -this. “James, he’s still trying to play despite everything he’s going through. So you have to ask him, I’m not really sure how he feels.
The Clippers attempted a season-high 20 3s against Indiana, while the Pacers made 17 3s. All-Star Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton made as many 3s on his own (6 of 9, 21 points) as the Clippers made as a team.
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(Photo: Gary A. Vasquez / USA Today)
