The Los Angeles Clippers were defeated soundly in their season opener against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, 129-108. After the game, Tyronn Lue spoke with the media, making one clear and definitive statement on his way out of the visiting press conference room. "I take responsibility for that bulls---," he said.
Well, that's a pretty definitive statement. Clippers reporter Justin Russo noted that this comment came as Lue was walking out of the room, so it technically wasn't said while any cameras were rolling. But that doesn't mean Ty wasn't being serious. He clearly took this loss particularly hard, and wanted it to be known that he intends to step up his work.
As we look at the totality of what happened on Wednesday night, it's clear that LA got beaten in nearly every statistical category. Utah registered a higher field goal percentage, three-point percentage, grabbed more rebounds, logged more assists, steals and blocks, committed less turnovers, scored more on fast break points, notched more points in the paint, and led by as many as 37 points. It was basically the worst outcome you could have imagined for the Clippers.
Tyronn Lue, as he walked out of the visiting press conference room tonight: “I take responsibility for that bullshit.”
— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) October 23, 2025
Tyronn Lue: "I take responsibility for that bulls---"
There were some positives for the Clippers on an individual level, but barely enough to write home about. Ivica Zubac logged 19 points and seven rebounds, and Brook Lopez put up 15 in his Clipper debut. Other than that, it was a very forgettable night. Kawhi Leonard put up one of his worst games in recent memory, finishing with just 10 points on 3-for-9 shooting. Bradley Beal started but only put up five points in 20 minutes.
It's hard to say this loss falls entirely on coaching, but it should still be encouraging to the fanbase to see Lue take ownership with his comments. As for what needs to change moving forward, there's a few things that come to mind, but it's complicated. Many are noticing LA's lack of size in the starting lineup, and it seems that starting John Collins at the four might serve to remedy that. Putting Kris Dunn in the starting group would likely improve the defense as well.
Overall, it seems that Wednesday night's loss was largely the result of this group just being unprepared in a schematic sense. Certain things will get hashed out in the coming days, and it's likely this group looks much improved come Friday against Phoenix at Intuit Dome.