Having three days off allowed the Clippers to get some well-deserved relaxation and psychological refreshment after a troublesome collection of matches.
However time without work hasn’t cured the Clippers.
With workforce chief James Harden and key participant Amir Coffey unable to play, the Clippers had been unable to comply with the Houston Rockets in a 117-106 defeat Sunday night on the Intuit Dome.
“General, I assumed we did a superb job,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue stated. “I assumed we had been competing. Like I stated, we gave up. So each evening that we step on the sector, we now have to make it troublesome for the fellows which can be enjoying in opposition to us, and I assumed we did that for probably the most half.
Proper groin soreness that saved Harden out of his first sport this season meant the Clippers had been with out their second-leading scorer (21.6) and chief in rebounds (6.8), assists ( 8.5) and minutes performed (33.9).
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The Clippers have 4 days off earlier than enjoying Denver on Friday evening. I hope Harden shall be again by then.
“It’s not critical, however there was just a few tightness in the suitable groin,” Lue stated of Harden. “It comes from [the] final match [on Wednesday night] additionally and so we’re simply going to watch out and ensure that we’re doing the suitable factor and see if it is slightly relaxation and assist him.
The correct shoulder bruise that saved Coffey out of his first sport of the season meant the Clippers did not have their fifth-leading scorer to present them a lift. Coffey was injured throughout pregame warmups.
Then got here the information, throughout the first trimester, that Derrick Jones was out with proper hamstring soreness. Jones, who had two factors in opposition to the Rockets, was fourth on the workforce in scoring (10.4) and is among the workforce’s finest defenders.
“Yeah, I’m good,” Jones stated. “Every little thing shall be high quality. I simply received slightly tight.
The Clippers fought so long as they might behind a double-double of Ivica Zubac (21 factors, 12 rebounds), 22 of Os Hyland off the bench, 19 Kevin Porter Jr. and 17 of Norman Powell.
With Harden out, that meant Zubac and Powell needed to carry extra of the load.
Zubac was 9 of 15 from the sector, however Powell struggled, going 5 of 18 from the sector and one among eight from three-point vary.
“Undoubtedly extra (on our shoulders) if you lose a man like James,” Zubac stated. “Not solely does he rating round twenty objectives per match, however he averages practically 10 assists. He prepares gamers, calls performs, places individuals of their place on offense. Then every thing adjustments. The sport may be very totally different. So it is much more on us, and even coming ahead to guide the workforce, James is our chief on the pitch, so we have to step up extra.
The Clippers solely turned the ball over eight occasions – a superb signal. However they had been outscored 50-33, their lack of measurement displaying. They gave up 12 offensive rebounds to the Rockets.
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“I believe we did a fantastic job,” Powell stated. “The fellows who took their alternatives performed nicely, performed collectively. … We had been there, we received to lower than 10, then to eight on the finish of the match. However each time we [got] at 10, they hit a 3 and dedicated a foul. We go down and miss one another.
“I believe it was a type of nights. We seemed good, the fellows performed nicely, the fellows had been speaking and speaking. That is the kind of workforce we now have.”
This story was initially revealed in Los Angeles Instances.
