3 Takeaways from the LA Clippers’ loss to the Thunder

Despite missing 2 of their starters, the LA Clippers performed well against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Here are a few takeaways from last night’s loss.

Let’s be honest – I don’t think anyone expected the Clippers to go into Oklahoma City last night and steal a win. The recent lack of effort certainly didn’t inspire me, and with Patrick Beverley and Danilo Gallinari out with injuries, I was ready to turn the game before it even came on.

And then I watched the first quarter, in which the Clippers had outscored the Thunder 31-30, thanks to a half-court buzzer-beater courtesy of Lou Williams.

But I figured it was just a little luck, and the second quarter showed that. OKC outscored LA by 9, and were up 63-55 at the half.

Despite that, the Clippers came back in the second half and made it a game. Each team scored 31 in the third quarter, and the Thunder scored just one more point than the Clippers in the fourth.

What I’m saying is that this version of the team shouldn’t be capable of doing what they did last night. That game should’ve been a blow out, and yet, neither team ever appeared to be in control.

This is something of a takeaway in itself. The Clippers played with a spirit that hasn’t been seen since the beginning of the year, and they almost beat a good Thunder team all while missing Bev and Gallo.

I know moral victories usually come with a negative connotation and are looked down upon, but that’s exactly what this was. It’s a confidence booster, some motivation, whatever you want to call it – and it could fuel a winning streak.