Against the Miami Heat, the LA Clippers played their first overtime minutes of the season. They performed relatively well for most of the night, but lost on a game-winning three-pointer from one of the greatest shooters ever, Klay Thompson, who somehow found a wide-open look in the corner.
While this is a heartbreaking way to lose, the loss exposed a major concern for the Clippers: They have no earthly idea how to close games. LA had a 10-point lead with roughly 5:04 left in the fourth quarter, then allowed the Heat to score nine unanswered, which ultimately swung the momentum for good.
What’s more, the Clippers collapsed late in the fourth quarter against the Toronto Raptors two nights earlier. Kobe Sanders drilled a free throw with 6:30 remaining in the fourth to put the Clippers up 12, and a little over three and a half minutes later, the game was tied.
This is a bad look for the coaching staff, as Tyronn Lue knows better, and for players like Darius Garland, who are paid top dollar to control late-game situations.
The LA Clippers struggle tremendously in closing games
Until it’s time to close a game out, the LA Clippers are rolling on both ends of the floor. Especially on offense, the ball moves, the opposing defense is broken down, and smart, quality shots are taken.
But when pressure arises, the offense goes stagnant, and careless mistakes start to happen.
As mentioned above, over the last two games where the Clippers showed how not to execute late in the fourth, LA played 8 of what the NBA classifies as clutch minutes (not including overtime). In those, they shot 30.8% from the field, 50.0% from the free-throw line, and turned the ball over eight (!!!) times.
Darius Garland is the prime culprit of several of these errors. He hasn’t done a great job protecting the basketball from the defense, facilitating the offense, or managing the clock.
The solution? The film room, until veterans like Brandon Ingram and Bradley Beal return to help Garland and the rest of the team.
The Clippers have to study the tape and figure out a strategy they can rely on to hold onto the leads they have worked so hard to build. This could be better ball movement, less isolation, and more designed plays, like a pick-and-roll.
If not, the Clippers will keep leaving winnable games on the board.
Add us as a preferred source on Google