The LA Clippers could learn from the Bucks and Lakers’ bounce backs.
The LA Clippers need to bounce back in tonight’s game versus the Dallas Mavericks. Wednesday’s loss was unacceptable. It’s not just that they lost, it was the way that the team played.
As they prepare to take the court for a pivotal game three tonight, they need look no further than how both the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers responded in their victories yesterday. In case you forgot or somehow didn’t know, both the top-seeded teams in both conferences lost in game one of their respective series.
On Thursday though, both came out and looked sharp and ready to play. That’s exactly what the Clippers have to do on Friday. The Bucks, Lakers, and Clippers have been the noted cream of the crop in the league this season but if the Clips don’t bounce back in the same way, I’m not sure they still belong in that conversation. Tonight is their chance to silence the doubters.
Does that mean that they absolutely have to win? No, it doesn’t. While a loss would look horrible and would surely stir up the media, it’s not impossible. It’s all about how they play, though. The team needs to come out and look like they are elite. Paul George especially needs to bounce back after a poor shooting night. Reggie Jackson needs to prove something. Montrezl Harrell needs to begin to look more like himself. Doc Rivers has to coach better. The list goes on and on.
The LA Clippers don’t necessarily have to blow out Dallas but they need to come out with a fire and intensity. As of the time of writing, we still don’t know whether or not Patrick Beverley will play but if he does, we have to assume finding that passion will be a little easier. It’s not looking likely, as the team has him listed as doubtful. Even if he doesn’t, the team still needs to dig deep and play how all of Clipper Nation knows they are capable of playing.