Tyronn Lue addressed the media Saturday night following the Los Angeles Clippers’ 146-115 loss to the Boston Celtics at Intuit Dome. The Clippers saw their six-game winning streak end as Boston dominated from the opening tip.
Lue praised Boston’s pace and shooting, stating, “They have great shooting. They play at a high pace. You know, you can’t get back, you can’t get matched up. And they played well tonight. I give them credit.”
He highlighted the difficulty of keeping up with the Celtics’ ball movement. “Our guys tried to fight, but we just couldn’t keep up with their pace and their speed. They got up to an early lead, and then we had to do so much to try to get back in the game,” Lue said. “When you shoot 50% from the field and 40% from three and still lose the game, they had a terrific game.”
Lue explained his decision to start Ivica Zubac in the second half, citing the need for a traditional center to stabilize the offense. “I thought with them trying to put the five-man on JC, it kind of messed up our offense. Having Zu on the floor, a traditional five, I thought was better for us. We got off to a good start in the third quarter, but we just couldn’t sustain it,” he said.
He addressed Jaylen Brown’s dominant night, noting the challenges in containing the Celtics star. “We tried to blitz, we tried to fire. He rejected a lot of it, getting back to his strong hand. He had one of those nights, shot the ball extremely well, made six threes. That’s what great players do,” Lue remarked.
Derrick White’s defense also drew attention, as he disrupted Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. “His ability to help, read the game, and understand how to play—Boston just said they were going to let Kawhi and James play. They shrunk the floor with four or five guys in the paint, and we just had to keep trusting the pass,” Lue explained.
On the team’s communication struggles, Lue said, “The speed at which they play puts you in tough positions. You think you’re switching, and you’re not, then two guys are on one. They got open threes. Rotate, swing, swing, shot. They really hurt us with their small pick-and-rolls and slipping out.”
Lue emphasized the need for more physicality and coordination. “The biggest thing is probably being more physical, being on a body where you can steer and nudge. That way you can direct where your guys go. We got to do a better job with that.”
Looking ahead to Monday’s rematch against Boston and an upcoming game versus Golden State, Lue noted the lessons learned. “This was a good warm-up test. We have to be locked in, more physical, and try to control our man instead of just letting him slip out so freely,” he said.
The Celtics’ victory was powered by Jaylen Brown’s 50 points and Derrick White’s 29, while Boston connected on 24 three-pointers. The Clippers’ top scorers were Kawhi Leonard and John Collins with 22 points each, but the team could not match Boston’s offensive efficiency.
